Interesting quirk introduced by Sevens...

From the IRB regulations...

8.7 A Player who is a national of the country or Union for which he has been captured under Regulation 8.2 and who holds the nationality of another country or Union, may apply to participate in an Olympic Event to represent his new country or Union subject to the following conditions;
8.7.1 The Regulations Committee shall consider the application of a Player under this Regulation 8.7 which must be submitted with all relevant supporting documentation by the Union for whom the Player wishes to next represent in an Olympic Event (or a Union associated with the Olympic Sevens Team the Player wishes to represent). The application
shall be pre-notified to the Player’s Union (namely the Union whose National Representative Team the Player represented);
8.7.2 The Player will be required to observe and demonstrate a stand down period of at least 3 years since the time the Player last represented their former Union and the time the Player first plays for the second Union or country, which must be in an Olympic Event. The Player may not represent the second Union in any other form of the Game until after they
have participated in such Olympic Event.
(a) Solely in respect of the Rio Olympic Games 2016, a stand down period of at least 18 months will be permitted, between the time the Player last represented their former Union and the time the Player first plays for the second Union or country, which must be in an Olympic Event in the Rio Olympic Games cycle, which the Player must observe and demonstrate.

So basically a Test player that holds a second passport can switch eligibilities to play in the Olympics, and thereafter play Tests for the new country. There might be some ex-ABs the islanders might have a look at, but I wonder if folk might be a little too focused of places of birth. Has anyone looked at what passports the players might be eligible for by marriage?

I might be missing it in the text but are they actually eligible to play tests for the new country?

Yes. It is implicit in "The Player may not represent the second Union in any other form of the Game until after they have participated in such Olympic Event", but the regulations also go on later to specifically say "Once the Player has represented the Union of which he is a national, in an Olympic Event, he shall thereafter be tied to that Union for all forms of the Game and in all events."

I wonder if that was an IOC-imposed thing.

one way to get Alby to stay ;)

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Originally Posted by zimeric

one way to get Alby to stay ;)

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Very sneaky thinking. I like it. :D

Problem is; it would require the ARU to assist with a player allocation that helps the Force.

The IRB has 192 nations partaking in international Rugby. The IOC probably has 290, there is a chance that a player could have played test rugby for a different country because their's didn't play it, but with the olympics their country may now have, or get a team. This allows the player to change to their own country.

I see that as very sensible.

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Originally Posted by RugbyRef

The IRB has 192 nations partaking in international Rugby. The IOC probably has 290, there is a chance that a player could have played test rugby for a different country because their's didn't play it, but with the olympics their country may now have, or get a team. This allows the player to change to their own country.

I see that as very sensible.

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[pedant]The IRB has 102 member countries, the IOC has 204.[/pedant]

Also, the countries aren't the same; England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (the UK) and Eire are two countries according to the IOC but 4 according to the IRB (and 5 according to FIFA!). I'm trying to think if there are any other oddities like that, or if the UK is a 'special' case.

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Originally Posted by Sheikh

Also, the countries aren't the same; England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (the UK) and Eire are two countries according to the IOC but 4 according to the IRB (and 5 according to FIFA!). I'm trying to think if there are any other oddities like that, or if the UK is a 'special' case.

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There used to be an Arabian Gulf test side that covered UAE, Qatar, etc. but that split into separate countries a few years back. A bet your life's richer for knowing that! :P

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Originally Posted by beige

There used to be an Arabian Gulf test side that covered UAE, Qatar, etc. but that split into separate countries a few years back. A bet your life's richer for knowing that! :P

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With my moniker I really ought to have known that!

A number of former All Blacks have confirmed that they intend to make themselves available for other countries at next year's World Cup.

A loophole in the IRB's Olympic Sevens qualifying regulations which allows capped players the opportunity to swap countries could open the way for the likes of ex-All Blacks Anthony Tuitavake, Sam Tuitupou and ex-Wallabies Mark Gerrard and Sitaleki Timani to represent the Pacific Island nations for which they hold passports.

In 2013, the IRB created an exemption to Regulation 8 governing eligibility for the Rio Olympics. It applies with a stand down period of 18 months for Rio, thereafter it will be three years.

It essentially means that any player that has not played Test rugby for three years and qualifiers for the another country via his passport can compete at the Rio Games provided he has played at an Olympic qualifying event - such as a round of the IRB World Series Sevens - in the interim.

Any player making the switch would then be tied to the 'new' country ahead of the 2015 World Cup.

Samoan passport holders Isaia Toeava, Lelia Masaga and Rudi Wulf could all feasibly switch.

Likewise, Tuitupou and for Tonga while Joe Rokocoko and Sitiveni Sivivatu could qualify for Fiji.

According to ONE News in New Zealand Tuitavake, Tuitupou, Gerrard and Timani will lodge an application to play for Tonga.

Former All Blacks Sevens representatives Alando Soakai, Lifeimi Mafi and Roy Kinikinilau are also keen to switch while Nanai-Williams has confirmed he hopes to feature for Samoa.

Read more: http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,2...397683,00.html

WOW!

Sias?

Apparently it was imposed by the IOC...

After Sevens rugby was included as an Olympic Sport, where it will debut in Rio 2016, the International Rugby Board (IRB) was forced to insert a sub- clause in section 8 of the regulations that govern the sport to fall in line with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) charter.

For more than a decade players have only been allowed to compete for one nation in international rugby.

But the IOC regulations allow athletes to compete for the country of which they hold a passport, even if they have competed for a different nation previously.

Full article: http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/sport/2...ific-islanders