World Rugby begin process to end three-year residency rule.
Augustin Pichot fired the first shots across the bow, in Dublin, earlier this year. The Argentine is now vice chairman of World Rugby and wants to close the loophole that sees foreign players qualify to player for new countries of residence after three years.
In recent years, Ireland have given debuts to foreign players such as CJ Stander, Jared Payne, Richardt Strauss, Rodney Ah You and more. Next season, Connacht’s Bundee Aki and Tom McCartney will also qualify to play for Ireland.
Last night, World Rugby launched an official review of ‘Regulation 8’. The likelihood is that the terms of residency may increase or that the loophole may be tightened to extinction in the coming years.
A working group is being established to study the process and determine whether it is fit for purpose. Interestingly, World Rugby only deemed three-year residency as valid in 2015 but this is Pichot’s baby.
The IRFU is one of several unions that has publicly backed the three-year rule. Indeed, in recent months, the union has approved moves for the likes of Jamison Gibson-Park, Rhys Marshall, Jean Kleyn and more with a view to them being Irish qualified by 2019.
At today’s Champions Cup launch at the Dublin Convention Centre, Ulster Rugby refused to discuss the three-year rule while Connacht boss Pat Lam, who has brought in the likes of Aki, McCartney and fellow Kiwi Jake Heenan under Regulation 8, proudly declared that only one of his senior squad would not be Irish qualified by the start of next season.
The working group review arrived on the same evening as a critical article from Australian based rugby writer Paul Cully in which Stander, who hails from South Africa, was described as ‘a prime example of rugby opportunism, outwardly at least’.
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