Manu Tuilagi

[joeluke]

A Samoan playing international rugby for England

It ain't right

You should represent the country of your birth, not somewhere you've lived for a few years and have decided you'd like to play for

In June 2010 Tuilagi faced deportation from the UK after it emerged that he had entered the country on a holiday visa six years earlier and had stayed on illegally. After an appeal, he was later granted indefinite leave to remain.

I wonder how many strings were pulled there just because he's a top rugby player?

[Buenchico]

Most sports have a residential qualification, as well as (or instead of) a birthplace qualification. With many sports being played at the highest level in only a fairly small number of countries, it makes sense to do so. For example, a brilliant rugby player might have been born and raised in (say) Iceland. It would be unfair to deny him the chance to play at international level just because Iceland doesn't compete alongside teams like England and France.

Cricket has always accepted overseas players into the England side after they've met the residential qualification. The England team for the 1992 World Cup Final included Allan Lamb (South Africa), Graham Hick (South Africa), Derek Pringle (Kenya), Dermot Reeve (Hong Kong), Chris Lewis (Guyana) and Phil DeFreitas (Dominica). Squad members who weren't selected for the Final included Gladstone Small (Barbados) and Robin Smith (South Africa).

The present England cricket squad is captained by Andrew Strauss (South Africa) and includes Matt Prior (South Africa), Kevin Pietersen (South Africa), Craig Kieswetter (South Africa) and Eoin Morgan (Ireland).

There would seem to be no reason why rugby should be any different. The All Blacks regularly feature Fijians, Tongans and Samoans in their teams. As well as Manusamoa Tuilagi, the England squad includes Dylan Hartley (New Zealand), Simon Shaw (Kenya), Riki Flutely (New Zealand), Hendre Fourie (South Africa) and Matt Stevens (South Africa).

Chris

[DTCwordfan]

Buenchico is correct

One thing though, no one from iceland should play for any British team until they pay their debts. And we should prevent them from any opportunity for chairing Mastermind, says he tongue in cheek.

It goes on at Uni level as well here, and especially the States. Many years ago a mate of mine went to Oxford on 3Cs at A level. I won't mention the college but the question "Why are you here with just 3Cs?"

Answer of "I have played rugby for England U18s" - "Sign here, Archaeology or Anthropology is it?"

Not that much different at Intl level and I suspect University entry.

[joeluke]

It cheapens the phrase 'representing your country'

Perhaps it should read 'representing the country you chose to play for'

It should be a level playing field, instead of countries strengthening their teams by importing foreigners

Check out this list of Brazilian footballers playing for other countries, including several eastern European countries and even Japan....now try telling me that's right

http://en.wikipedia.o...another_national_team

Also what about the players who've played for Ireland and Wales who have cockney accents and qualified because their granny was Irish/Welsh? (Vinnie Jones, Tony Cascarino etc).....that ain't right either

[mightyWBA]

There are 2 players currently at West Brom who were born in England and have lived in England all their lives..James Morrison plays for Scotland because his granny was born there..He joked he'd never even been to Scotland before he played for them..The other is Simon Cox who recently played for the Republic of Ireland..Never been there either and only found out he qualified, through an Irish granny, when they phoned him up.
He's now refered to as an Irishman!

I think you should play for the country where you were educated or spent at least 50 % of your life.

[scotman]

We all have opinions on this but the rules are the rules. I suppose for individual players it comes down to how they feel about it.
Given the time he has spent in Spain one L. Messi could have a World Cup winners medal by now. He chooses to play for Argentina where he was born and doesn't look like ever winning one.

[DTCwordfan]

makes this the most appropriate national anthem - is there one title "Land of My Grandfathers"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kUnCwV3AYE

[rowanwitch]

There could be an argument that choosing to play for a country should be the best way of determining who is eligible...

And there are plenty of people born in England who would never play for England if asked because they feel culturally part of another nation. Its where your heart is where you feel you belong

[R1Geezer]

yeah they would do that for a soccerball player would they......er hang on.

International rules for virtually any sport have a residency qualification.

[MOBIUS]

On Saturday Wales must have felt as if they were playing a "Rest of the World" XV. There is a good case for a residence qualification when a player has spent most of his life in a country, but there is a real suspicion that some of the England squad are merely chancers who know they have a better chance of selection - with its attendant financial rewards - here than at home. I notice that two members of the Welsh team - Toby Faletau and George North - were not born in Wales, but having both lived in the country since childhood and been educated there (and North is a Welsh speaker) they hardly fall into the same category as Tuilagi and his team-mates.

[plautus]

To the Pink Sheep: "Land of My Fathers?, my Fathers can bloody keep it!" (Dylan Thomas). You could of course change the title to: Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau-cu, thus letting the grandads in on the scene. It would only require a slight adjustment to the rhythm of the first line.