Aussie Player Exodus

[kiap]

Could he not play in the 2020 Olympics? (Genuine question)

This was my query as well.

Apparently there is a three-year stand-down period for Olympic sports.

Presumably this would mean he would be Fiji eligible for Olympic sevens by late 2022.

Does this mean he could be given cheap 7s caps starting at say the 2022 Oceania Sevens, which thereby resets his XV nationality at that time as well?

I don't have a definitive answer. But the guy is enough of a glory hunter to try the loophole.

 

[Adam84]

Could he not play in the 2020 Olympics? (Genuine question)

Nah, 3 year stand down period between representing Wallabies and Fiji at the Olympics, which means earliest he could represent Fiji is 2024, which also means the earliest RWC he could represent Fiji is 2027.

 

[Highlander35]

You don't need to represent the nation at the Olympics, just at an Olympic qualification event.

Based on previous years, that's: a) 4 events of the world series in the year the top 4 qualify (Tim Nanai Williams), b) the regional qualifier (I don't know a player who has done this) or c) the repechage qualification event (Cooper Vuna).

Given the qualification will happen in the 2023 World Series, and the stand down period starts... now-ish, if he wants to turn out for Fiji, and they'll have him, I don't see how it doesn't happen, bar a mistake in his contract.

 

[kiap]

Given the qualification will happen in the 2023 World Series, and the stand down period starts. now-ish, if he wants to turn out for Fiji, and they'll have him, I don't see how it doesn't happen, bar a mistake in his contract.

Perhaps you're right.

There might be other possibilities, though, even if only possible and less than probable.

Is sevens guaranteed for 2024? It was only given two olympiads to begin with, to be subsequently assessed.

Then the player will need to get free of club commitments to join the qualifying jolly. If he's a bit below par at seven-a-side, he might have to be carried for four tournaments - possible, sure, but the union would have to be fully committed to his RWC capture.

 

[Lost]

Nah I don't think its a kick in the guts, every Fjian in the world would hold ambitions of representing Fiji, doesn't mean they aren't committed to their adopted nations or give 100% every time they play .

Would not be many NZ qualifiable players who would knock back playing for them either. In fact I’d say it would be near zero.

 

[Dctarget]

If Kerevi does represent Fiji, then it makes a joke of the eligibility laws. This is not what the 7s loophole is for. Kerevi has not been capped once and discarded by RA. He's as Australian as they come, been here since he was 4. Captained QLD with near 80 caps, vice captained Australia with 30 caps. It'd be a bizarre about turn.

If he really wants out of the Wallabies, then something's rotten in the state of Denmark. But for now I'm going to put my blinkers on and think he was just trying to satisfy a Fijian crowd by saying he would love to play for them, nothing more than a crowd pleaser.

 

[Jets]

I think the context of the comments need to be taken into account as well. He's back in Fiji talking to a pro Fiji crowd. He's going to give them what they want to hear. Currently he has the option of trying to get qualified for Fiji but things change. Lets see what is happening in 2022 when his contract is coming to an end.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

That would be a bizarre situation if Kerevi were to turn out for Fiji at the next RWC.

I had hoped that he would have developed into a Nonu style player and carve up at RWC19, but unlike Nonu he didn't learn to pass the footy.

 

[Braveheart81]

 

[Dctarget]

Kerevi deserves some credit for clearing things up, this isn't the first time he's been misconstrued and he always makes an effort to clarify and appease the public/employers. Think he seems like a fairly sensible bloke. His agent on the other hand....

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Yeah it sounds like his manager can go to buggery.

 

[Brumby Runner]

That would be a bizarre situation if Kerevi were to turn out for Fiji at the next RWC.

I had hoped that he would have developed into a Nonu style player and carve up at RWC19, but unlike Nonu he didn't learn to pass the footy.

Nonu came good at a relatively late age. Plenty of time for Kerevi to expand his game to near the same level. I really can't understand the negative comments that are already coming out above about Kerevi when it isn't at all clear if he meant what he apparently said.

 

[Slim 293]

You don't need to represent the nation at the Olympics, just at an Olympic qualification event.

Based on previous years, that's: a) 4 events of the world series in the year the top 4 qualify (Tim Nanai Williams), b) the regional qualifier (I don't know a player who has done this) or c) the repechage qualification event (Cooper Vuna).

Given the qualification will happen in the 2023 World Series, and the stand down period starts. now-ish, if he wants to turn out for Fiji, and they'll have him, I don't see how it doesn't happen, bar a mistake in his contract.

It’s a moot point anyways now that he’s come out and said he’s been misquoted...........

But wouldn’t have to turn out for four of the Sevens World Series Olympic qualifiers that don’t begin until after the RWC?

 

[Braveheart81]

But wouldn’t have to turn out for four of the Sevens World Series Olympic qualifiers that don’t begin until after the RWC?

The 2023 World Rugby Sevens Series is a qualifier (in that the top four teams qualify). He would need to play four events for that to count.

The specific Olympics qualifiers that come too late to play the 2023 RWC only require playing in one event.

 

[Forcefield]

Problem with Kerevi is that there really are no other 12s quite like him in Australia. We need to build a playing style going forward and can't bank on him coming back. I feel like we suffered a bit this year from changing from 10 and 12 playmakers to Kerevi at 12 with very little time for the team to get used to it.

Solution? Kuridrani to be trialled at 12 (Petaia at 13)? Billy Meakes as an all-rounder in there? Kerevi to work on playmaking skills while in Japan?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I think we'll end up with the QLD pairing: JOC (James O'Connor) and Petaia

 

[Adam84]

The 2023 World Rugby Sevens Series is a qualifier (in that the top four teams qualify). He would need to play four events for that to count.

The specific Olympics qualifiers that come too late to play the 2023 RWC only require playing in one event.

Depending on seasons alignments, he would also need to give up his Japanese contract to make this possible, and would also need to earn himself a spot in arguably the best 7s team in the world

All a moot point given it wasn’t what he meant, but even if he did it’s not an easy proposition, and he would need to sacrifice anywhere up to a $1million just to make it possible

 

[Braveheart81]

Depending on seasons alignments, he would also need to give up how Japanese contract to make this possible, and would also need to earn himself a spot on the best 7s team in the country.

All a moot point given it wasn’t what he meant, but even if he did it’s not an easy proposition, and he would need to sacrifice anywhere up to a $1million just to make it possible

Yeah, it absolutely isn't going to happen and I accept that it was just banter from Kerevi at an event in Fiji.

I was just clarifying that it is technically possible for players to change allegiances for the 2023 RWC through the 2023 World Rugby Sevens Series.

 

[Adam84]

On a side bar, given only one or two players has actually switched countries through this means when the qualifying window was even leas(18 months for 2016 Olympics), I really don’t see many players actually doing it, and given overlaps with seasons I certainly don’t see the top echelon of players doing it.

Whilst also unlikely, I see more appetite and likelihood in the International journeymen category, with players who don’t have continual contracts who can make themselves available for the qualification rounds.

 

[Jets]

It's the reason Charles Piutau isn't playing for Tonga. You have to make some sacrifices to change countries and in a finite playing career it takes real commitment.