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Foreign recruitment

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BDA

Jim Lenehan (48)
I'm not sure making such allowances helps anybody. I like the idea that players cant have two bites at the cherry. If players feel so utterly beholden to their country of heritige then they should be playing for them. Allowing players to move from Tier 1 to Tier 2 nations at the end of their career (should their circumstances permit) may actually be counter-productive. Players that previously might have shown loyalty might hold out for the opportunity to play for a top nation with the knowledge that they can always switch back at a later time. It also, to a small extent, cheapens the Tier 1 countries jersey, making them look like teams that have merely been hiring mercenaries, that at the end of the day, would prefer to be representing their country of birth
 

the coach

Bob Davidson (42)
Your friend's point seems rather stupid as he is basically saying that the Wallabies should not select Harris because he wasn't developed in Australia. That is ridiculous. He qualifies under the IRB rules as an Australian and was selected as such when he was considered good enough to make the Wallabies 22.

It would be a horrible piece of discrimination not to pick/employ someone who was perfectly eligible just because they were born in another country. We have laws against that.

The reality of the rules are that most people will qualify for multiple countries. There aren't a lot of people whose parents, grandparents and themselves were all born in the same country (particularly in Australia and New Zealand) and spent their whole life in that same country.

There is very little active foreign recruitment. Players play where they choose and represent the countries they want to represent. Sometimes players might move to another country they qualify for to seek an opportunity they otherwise wouldn't get, but that is part of life. It's not just the situation in professional sport.

I agree with you completely.
We could also argue (tongue-in-cheek) that as Harris wasn't considered good enough to play S15 in NZ, Australia has developed him into an International quality player!
 

Dan54

David Wilson (68)
I cant beleive NZers are still bang'n on about this small issue. really its a draw 18/18 all.
Didn't realise is was only Kiwis discussing foreign recruitment, its well past talking about the test Muds, do try and keep up man!!:p
 

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
Kerr-Barlow,born in Melbourne,raised in Darwin---now an all Black
mr Hanson,can we have him back,please

The Lords of Darkness did the same to one of Joeys finest. As per wikipedia:

Stephen John Devine (born 12 December 1976 in Boggabri, New South Wales, Australia) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. /..snip../. He was eligible to play for the New Zealand on residential grounds, and made his debut for the All Blacks on 9 November 2002, against England during the All Blacks end of year tour. He went on to play 10 tests for New Zealand, including the third/fourth place playoff in the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
 

en_force_er

Geoff Shaw (53)
Ben Franks was also born in Melbourne wasn't he?

Yeah but that's a technicality at best, he's certainly a Kiwi.

If Owen is born in NZ and is 4 years young then Ben you can presume Ben moved away from Aus at 4 at the latest. Plus his rents were Kiwis through and through.

I'm not debating that Harris shouldn't be aloud to play for Aus but it's apples and oranges.
 
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