Post by jim on Jul 31, 2008 19:29:47 GMT 10
Eligability Rules
Rugby League World Cup organisers have reminded all nations of the Eligibility Rules for teams ahead of this year’s event as the 10 nations prepare to submit their interim squads later this week.
The basic premises are the same for most sports, whereby in the case of the Rugby League International Federation, a player is eligible to play an International match for:
- the country in which he was born;
- the country in which either of his parents or any of his grandparents was born;
- the country which has been his principal place of residence for a period of three years up to the date of his selection;
- the country for which he last played representative International Rugby League football at any age level prior to the introduction of the RLIF Constitution;
- a country for which he has gained Senior International honours in any sport.
Players who are eligible to play for more than one country must clearly elect one country as the one they will represent. This is deemed to have been done when a player accepts selection in a team.
A player can be available for both countries until that point.
A player can change his election under the following circumstances:
- at the conclusion of a World Cup tournament.
- two years after he last played for a previous nation.
- after making a written submission to the RLIF Executive and receiving RLIF approval of that submission.
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup involves 18 matches in 12 venues in three states and the ACT over 29 days from October 25 to the Final at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on November 22, which has already sold-out.
Teams will compete in three pools – Pool 1: Australia, New Zealand, England, Papua New Guinea; Pool 2: France, Fiji, Scotland; and Pool 3: Tonga, Samoa, Ireland.
Australian coach Ricky Stuart will name his squad this Friday morning (Aug 1) at the Sharks Leagues Club at 11am (media alert to be issued); and Papua New Guinea coach Adrian Lam will announce his in Townsville later that day.
Q and A
How can the Broncos Peter Wallace be eligible to play for Australia and Scotland; and the Storm’s Brett White for Australia Ireland when they played for NSW in Origin?
It is a requirement of Origin selection that players are available to play for Australia.
At this stage, Wallace is available to play for Australia. If he is not chosen for Australia, he is eligible to be selected for Scotland because his grandmother is Scottish. The same applies for White, whose late grandfather was born in Ireland.
“Of course playing for Australia is the ultimate goal of any boy growing up in this country,” said Wallace. “But if I did not get chosen for the country of my birth, then I would be more than happy to represent the country my grandmother hailed from, Scotland.”
How can Parramatta’s Junior Kangaroos rep Feleti Mateo play for Tonga?
Mateo was born in Australia, but one of his parents is Tongan. He played for Tonga in the World Cup qualifying rounds last year, so that is his elected country for the 2008 World Cup.
Mateo was granted an exemption to play 2008 City-Country because it was believed he was planning to submit his paperwork to change his elected country from Tonga to Australia and officials did not want to prejudice his selection. The paperwork was never submitted though and as a result he could not be chosen to represent NSW in Origin.
If he had changed his country of election to Australia for Origin he would not have been able to change back to Tonga for the 2008 World Cup, as only one change is permissible in an election period.
3. How can Nigel Vagana play for Samoa when he played for New Zealand in the 2006 Tri-Nations?
A player is allowed one change of election. Nigel changed from New Zealand, where he was born, to Samoa, the heritage of one of his parents.
4. Are nations required to include a minimum number of domestic players?
A recently convened Rugby League International Federation Executive Board meeting agreed for the 2008 RLWC to rescind the domestic quota rule (that teams must include at least five domestic players) introduced two years ago for the qualifying tournament.
The basic premises are the same for most sports, whereby in the case of the Rugby League International Federation, a player is eligible to play an International match for:
- the country in which he was born;
- the country in which either of his parents or any of his grandparents was born;
- the country which has been his principal place of residence for a period of three years up to the date of his selection;
- the country for which he last played representative International Rugby League football at any age level prior to the introduction of the RLIF Constitution;
- a country for which he has gained Senior International honours in any sport.
Players who are eligible to play for more than one country must clearly elect one country as the one they will represent. This is deemed to have been done when a player accepts selection in a team.
A player can be available for both countries until that point.
A player can change his election under the following circumstances:
- at the conclusion of a World Cup tournament.
- two years after he last played for a previous nation.
- after making a written submission to the RLIF Executive and receiving RLIF approval of that submission.
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup involves 18 matches in 12 venues in three states and the ACT over 29 days from October 25 to the Final at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on November 22, which has already sold-out.
Teams will compete in three pools – Pool 1: Australia, New Zealand, England, Papua New Guinea; Pool 2: France, Fiji, Scotland; and Pool 3: Tonga, Samoa, Ireland.
Australian coach Ricky Stuart will name his squad this Friday morning (Aug 1) at the Sharks Leagues Club at 11am (media alert to be issued); and Papua New Guinea coach Adrian Lam will announce his in Townsville later that day.
Q and A
How can the Broncos Peter Wallace be eligible to play for Australia and Scotland; and the Storm’s Brett White for Australia Ireland when they played for NSW in Origin?
It is a requirement of Origin selection that players are available to play for Australia.
At this stage, Wallace is available to play for Australia. If he is not chosen for Australia, he is eligible to be selected for Scotland because his grandmother is Scottish. The same applies for White, whose late grandfather was born in Ireland.
“Of course playing for Australia is the ultimate goal of any boy growing up in this country,” said Wallace. “But if I did not get chosen for the country of my birth, then I would be more than happy to represent the country my grandmother hailed from, Scotland.”
How can Parramatta’s Junior Kangaroos rep Feleti Mateo play for Tonga?
Mateo was born in Australia, but one of his parents is Tongan. He played for Tonga in the World Cup qualifying rounds last year, so that is his elected country for the 2008 World Cup.
Mateo was granted an exemption to play 2008 City-Country because it was believed he was planning to submit his paperwork to change his elected country from Tonga to Australia and officials did not want to prejudice his selection. The paperwork was never submitted though and as a result he could not be chosen to represent NSW in Origin.
If he had changed his country of election to Australia for Origin he would not have been able to change back to Tonga for the 2008 World Cup, as only one change is permissible in an election period.
3. How can Nigel Vagana play for Samoa when he played for New Zealand in the 2006 Tri-Nations?
A player is allowed one change of election. Nigel changed from New Zealand, where he was born, to Samoa, the heritage of one of his parents.
4. Are nations required to include a minimum number of domestic players?
A recently convened Rugby League International Federation Executive Board meeting agreed for the 2008 RLWC to rescind the domestic quota rule (that teams must include at least five domestic players) introduced two years ago for the qualifying tournament.
Sp now they've scrapped the 5 domestic players rule?! WHAT A FUCKING JOKE!
