Ten rugby internationals on four continents

Our Kiwi/Aussie pub team from London played a German BaBas team. We put 40 points on them and we were seriously hung over and out of condition. We later found out that 5 German internationals played in that BaBa team. Ive seen Switzerland play Belgium in rugby. Full of expats both teams even a few Islanders. My old club Manurewa in Counties would put 70pts on the pair of them.

The Germans must've got a memo to say 'copy NZ rugby admin' but there was a typo n it read 'OZ admin' instead. Wonder if the ARU are charging them consulting fees or just have them tied into the developing players trap? ;)

I'm really only across how my club deals with players and I know the financial incentives at this level are very low. These guys are all passionate about their rugby, I don't know if there is a further financial incentive if they make the national squad.

jeznez, My understanding is that Hong Kong has some sort of "High Performance" group etc now that means the national team is sort of semi-pro - do you know much about this?

I'd say many are work expats but longer term than most. Many started as what you call a work expat and have made their home here.

That's why I used the ' ...' jez when I said real (I meant Korean born btw but agree it could be seen as offensive) For the record I do make a big difference between someone who was born overseas and chose to 'live or migrate to a country' and later on represents his new nation and a team composed of 'expats' who moved there for work sponsored by their company. That's why I was asking you if the majority were 'work expats'. So the '3 or so' who were born and raised in HK are HKese in my mind, no question and I do not consider them to be expats (I use the term expat as 'work expat', someone who temporarily move to a country for work, say a 4 year stint, with his company). I was just wondering what was the status of the majority of HK players I saw on the w-e.

Nah, winner of the match between the two undefeated Asian 5 Nations sides goes straight into the RWC and loser plays the repechage. Sure Japan are massive favourites but imagine if HK win the last ever 5Ns. We would get to keep the trophy forever and go to the World Cup!

For amateurs to play full pros is a crazy ask. The 3Ns should happen but Japan need to play stronger opponents as well while HK and Korea play people near their own level

Chan Wee, it wasn't that long ago that HK were ranked about 10 spaces lower than they are. Their two big moves have been in getting Belgium who were slightly higher to tour and knocking them over. They did climb in the meantime by beating lower sides but effectively swapped places with Korea on Saturday. Korea went into the weekend ranked 23 v HK 25 and finished at 26 to HK's 23.

Pretty much expats working in HK. There are three 'real' HK guys in the squad as you would term (weird to say that given your comments about Sheek's tag line) then another three or so you would consider expats but who were born and raised here. Of the remainder some of them are getting a bit of money through club footy to help with rent and the rest are here because work brought them here. Not sure about Korea this year but they have in the past brought over teams where 7 of them played pro in the Japan league. Unfortunately their clubs weren't listed in the programme on Saturday so I couldn't take a look.

I know of the Asian 3N next year, but Japan has improved a lot since Kirwin took over and now Jones is seeing things through. I know that Korea and Hong Kong have improved in ranks, but they are still not good enough to seriously challenge Japan. The only way for Japan to get better, as well as others, is to play similar level teams and test what they practice instead of being closed out of the game without having a fair go.

and Georgia has a less established domestic Rugby comp unlike Germany, etc. France are mostly funding their development through their clubs employing them. There aren't as many Germans playing professionally in the top two leagues in France.

@ Eddard , Johnno , Warren Adamson Hong Kong has risen in the standing by pplaying aginst Lower Ranked teams. How they fair against Japan will show a true picture. teams outside the top 20 shud play against each other more frequently. Simillarly the top 10 and top 11-20 shud play against each other. regional tournaments will work if like-play - like as opposed to giants v minnows. in cricket ther are tournaments for lower ranked teams at different levels. ther is more parity when each team can beat another on a given day rather than the result is a foregone conclusion.

I hear from guys I know in Germany that the German rugby union is ridiculously conservative and every time someone proactive tries something it's squashed to preserve the status quo and the Heidelberg base. I hear the same complaints from rugby fans in Japan - that the JRFU does nothing at all to promote or market the game and is happy with its amateur uni comp and paying stars to shine in the company league. I think it's getting harder and harder for nations to step up to the Top Tier. Between 1987 and 2003.Argentina, Italy, Samoa all managed it. But whilst the quality of that second tier has improved exponentially the following nations (in chronological order): Romania, Canada, Fiji, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Tonga, Spain, Uruguay, USA have all failed to capitalise on promise shown. Georgia may be the country to finally crack it. But as the top leagues get more professional the gap may well increase. The real good news is that rugby is doing very well in starting up in non-traditional countries (or in the case of Kenya, Sri Lanka and Madagascar being finally recognised more widely) esp. in eastern and south eastern Europe and Africa. They may not ever even make a RWC but good little passionate rugby communities are being built.

From next year the Asian 5 nations will become a home and away Asian tri nations at the top tier. So it will be Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong. While the latter aren't yet at Japan's level they can at least give them more than a training run. And they are improving. Hong Kong are currently ranked 23rd in the world and South Korea 26th.

Another issue is the poor administration. Spain are basically insolvent. Bad administration has prevented German Rugby from getting back to where it was pre-Hitler.

Rugby is just small time in the Netherlands. Belgium shows more appetite for the game then the Dutch do. As for the Germans they at least have Heidelberg.

I wish you were right johnno but I doubt. I think its harder to bridge the gap in rugby than it is in some other sports (like 7s). Plus the big ones now have very professional leagues (SR, Aviva, Pro 12 and Top 14) and I just think the gap between nations with players involved in these comps and other nations may even increase. Georgia and Romania (who have players in those leagues) will probably do ok but I think we are still a decade or 2 from having a dozen Germans, Czech, Portuguese etc in our leagues. I think these nations are weaker than shute shield teams or Fed 1 & 2 in France (3rd/4th div).

Germany/Holland/Belguim/Switzerland/Sweden/Czech Republic/Serbia/Russia/Ukraine/Georgia/Romania/Hungary/Spain/Portugal, all Euro nations I see haveing promising rugby futures. Hungary is now investing in rugby and making it a priority sport. Germany is very encouraging. Germans are a tall group of people too, so all bodes well, plus the big money to spend on development. Within 20 years I can see Europe haveing a Euro championships in rugby every 4 years I look forward to that, seeing a 16-team Euro champions comp every 4 years.

I thought Japan already had booked there spot. HK V Uruguay will be close, I can't see Japan losing to HK.