I’ve noticed a resurgence in the age-old ‘New Zealand poach players rhetoric’ once again. People are obviously going to have their own take on this, but claiming players, without knowing basic facts about them is madness!
Here are some facts: Ethnicity and nationality are two different things. According to The Economist, “Nationality is acquired by birth or adoption, marriage, or descent”, which can vary from country to country. So in general terms, nationality refers to birthplace and/or citizenship held.
For example, I have dual citizenship, one by birth and the other by descent, ergo I have two nationalities. On the other hand, ethnicity is “the term for the culture of people in a given geographic region, including their language, heritage, religion and customs”.
Using myself as an example again, my father was English, my mother was of Serbian descent, so my ethnicity is Anglo-Serbian.
Here’s where it gets tricky for some: my ethnicity doesn’t necessarily determine my nationality. I am not English, neither am I Serb. I am a New Zealander. Now, if I identified more with the nationality of my parents, this might be different. But I identify as a Kiwi because it’s where I was raised and learnt how to socialize which is important as it is when we inherit and disseminate society’s “norms, customs, and ideologies“.
Basically, I am the person I am because of New Zealand.
Let’s relate this to the All Blacks. There have been a total of 1160 All Blacks, from James Allen (number 1) to Ngani Laumape (number 1160). According to a 2014 article penned by Cleaver and Singh, “out of a total of 1132 ABs, only 33 were Pacific Islanders not born in NZ”.
Unfortunately, “if your name sounds remotely Samoan, Tongan or Fijian, you must be from there”, according to many critics of New Zealand rugby.
This which frustrates me. Just because a person has a name from somewhere else, doesn’t mean they are. Check out my name!
I could list many players here, but I’m only going to list those I’ve seen as being recently heralded as players New Zealand has poached:
Jonah Lomu: born in Auckland.
Joe Rokocoko: born in Nadi and immigrated with his family to Auckland when he was five.
Ma’a Nonu: born in Wellington.
Jerome Kaino: born in American Samoa and immigrated with his family when he was four.
Sonny Bill Williams: born in Auckland.
Julian Savea: born in Wellington.
(AAP Image/David Moir)
If New Zealand Rugby can see potential in a four or five-year-old in order to poach them, then they should bottle that ability, sell it and try and make the cash needed to keep our players in New Zealand! A player who moved here at four or five years old because his parents emigrated isn’t poached! All his schooling has been in New Zealand and New Zealand is where he learnt rugby.
So why shouldn’t he play for NZ? Even Augustin Pichot, World Rugby vice-chairman, agrees: “There are special cases where players moved when they were ten or 12 years old”.
My reading of this is if a kid emigrates with their parents they are entitled to play for the country they emigrated to. Obviously, they shouldn’t be punished, later on, for a decision their parents made. Perhaps we should look at this dilemma from the player’s point of view.
Bevan Cadwallader, coach development manager at Auckland rugby and selector for the New Zealand under-20s side, suggests that many Kiwi boys only have the option of the All Blacks and if they’re not good enough, that’s it, “whereas some of those boys who were born in New Zealand but have the ancestry to be able to play back in the islands or play in Europe” have extra opportunities available to them.
Surely that’s a good thing for them and their families.
New Zealand is a South Pacific nation and is home to many proud Pacifica people, many of whom have been here for decades. Unfortunately, the fact that Auckland is the largest Pacific city in the world doesn’t seem to resonate with some: “If you’re born in Manukau, you should be playing for your island nation, some scribes would appear to suggest”.
As a colonised Pacific nation, we are multi-cultural. Most of us are fiercely proud of the ethnically diverse makeup of our country, and indeed, the All Blacks. That diversity strengths our team, of course, that’s the issue, isn’t it!
Augustin Pichot believes “moving to a country, being taken from an academy, like they are doing in Tonga, and put into play, say, in an Ireland shirt” is wrong. Many put Malakai Fekitoa and Waisake Naholo in this category, but as both of these players attended high school in New Zealand (Wesley Collage and Wanganui City College respectively) according to Pichot’s prerequisites, they too, are okay. If only barely!
(AAP Image/Dean Pemberton)
However, I must say I agree that taking kids from the Islands and putting them straight into representative teams is wrong. But the continuing suggestion that New Zealand is the only country doing it, is incorrect.
According to The Roar, “French rugby clubs are now actively recruiting impoverished Fijians of school age with the lure of professional careers in Europe”. For example, Brive and Clermont and Brive have “academies in Fiji in a bid to secure a steady stream of young talent”.
I agree with The Roar when they suggest that “any agents or clubs found to be enticing children from the Pacific Islands under the age of 18 into signing agreements or professional contracts should be severely penalised” but I guess building fancy academies in the Islands is a way around this, unfortunately, ending with the same result.
But, and this is a big but, why shouldn’t players from Pacific Islands have the same opportunities as those from countries like New Zealand? Should Pacific Islanders be relegated to the sidelines as mere spectators instead of moving abroad? Or should World Rugby do more to develop rugby in those nations?
I think the latter.
World Rugby needs to do more to help develop the game in the Pacific Islands. It’s not fair that the Island nations are giving so much to global rugby and receiving so little in return. At the very least players should be released to play for their national teams.
But let’s not forget that many of the world’s unions are being supplemented by New Zealanders these days. Kiwis are coaching many Northern Hemisphere clubs and national teams, over and above those playing for them. The possibility of playing Test rugby for another nation is “difficult to ignore for players whose All Black’s prospects don’t look great“.
Wayne Pivac, head coach of the Scarlets, asserts that Kiwis, seeing the likes of Jared Payne playing for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions makes them think, ‘Well if I can’t be an All Black, the next best thing is playing for another nation’.
(AAP Image/SNPA, Ross Setford)
Although it’s sad to see players go offshore, who can blame them? Again, they need to think of their futures and families. Pivac, who also coached Fiji, said he sees a difference between why Kiwis and Pacific Islanders head to the Northern Hemisphere. For Kiwis, it’s the opportunity to make a Test team if that’s not looking possible in New Zealand, but for the Pacific Islanders, it’s more about “what that change can do for them” and their families.
It will be interesting to see how the changes to Regulation eight (residency and international rugby) will affect the current situation, or as I suspect, if it has any effect at all.
However, there’s another change World Rugby has and it’s also quite interesting; players in under-20s teams will no longer be tied to that country. Now, this opens up the door for earlier enticement from overseas clubs. I see this particular law change being more detrimental to New Zealand than any other country.
However, in saying that, I believe the lure of the All Black jersey, and the benefits of having worn one (obviously adds value when negotiating), will supersede the instant gratification of a Northern Hemisphere contract. Both law changes will be introduced from 1/1/2018.
So to those who accuse New Zealand of being rugby colonists and claim New Zealand-born players as their own, you need to do some research as to where people were born. If you’re able to make accusations, you have the technical skills to look up player bios on the internet.
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
maybe it needs to be looked at as "pre" and "post" professionalism re poaching. Lets face it - big money talks and any youngster from a PI nation would love to play and get paid a motza for it. The trouble then lies - where is their allegiance - to the nation of their birth, or to the country they now play in who will offer them even more $$$ to represent that country in the upcoming RWC? maybe they need to extend the eligibility rules for when you can represent a country - 3 years is nothing in the professional era. If it were extended to i.e. 8 years, then the PI player can play in the NH Pro comp, make lots of money to send home, and still represent the nation of his birth for 1 or maybe 2 RWC's
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
not like there's a shortage of them in the UK
Dubaikiwi
Guest
But that would decimate the Australian team
NOTASaffaSpy
Roar Rookie
Sad to say in my humble opinion this article is a load of BS. My dislike of NZ rugby in general is well known so I make no bones about it. Simply moving to NZ doesn't make you a NZ'er and I grow tired of this whole "it is a kindness" idea that NZ rugby likes to sell the world on. I propose a simple solution, World Rugby should make it the rule, you may only play for the country you are born in, no exceptions. And I guess we'll find out how much of a kindness it really is, because I wonder if the scholarships and charity will keep going? I think not. Also if there are so few players not of NZ birth playing for NZ then they have nothing to lose by agreeing to the rule? Yet somehow I guess they won't.
Muzzo
Guest
true Riccardo, as I am one of those that describe him as such., But Yep he did coach in the Republic.
Coconut
Guest
I have reread your post Sweden... And realised that it needed to be read in conjunction with the one you made which preceded it. If you read it on its own it takes on a different meaning... So the the advice for those that misunderstood should have been to read the one before it.... there is nothing to apologise for, it appeared as though you were telling people to reread your second post which is why the confusion. There is no need to get personal and talk about mana and dignity etc... A very disproportionate and rather hysterical response to the confusion about which post you were referring to. For what it's worth, your point is valid... But I think rugby in the Pacific has more immediate problems to contend with before it gets to that. I am a Cook Islander by the way.
Atlas
Roar Rookie
Thanks. Knew nothing of Heenan's background, good of him to speak so openly about it, and the wider rugby 'family' he's become part of.
John R
Roar Guru
No they wouldn't. Ridiculous claim to make.
Derm
Roar Guru
Yeah Bent is still with Leinster and has earned his stripes for the province, having started out badly. He was playing for the Blues in SA over the last two weekends. Must be nearing his 100th cap soon. He got 4 caps for Ireland, then got shifted to the A side Wolfhounds, then to the B side Emerging Ireland. Popular guy in the club. Here's an I/v with him from 2015 - https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/european-cup/leinster-prop-michael-bent-enjoying-rugby-again-after-tough-beginning-1.2072816 Heenan's had a lot of injuries, but he's also playing for Connacht which rarely gets a look in for test talent, although it's improved in last couple of years with Henshaw, Bealham, & Dillane breaking through into the squad, although Henshaw moved to Leinster as soon as he hit the headlines. Backrow is a difficult position to break through in Irish rugby given it's the one position in which there's plenty of depth. He's had O'Brien, O'Mahony, van der Flier, Murphy, Ruddock, Leavy, O'Donnell, Stander, Henry, and even his Connacht colleague, Sean O'Brien mk 2, ahead of him. He's in his fifth season with the club now. Lovely I/v with him here in 2016 about his background and relationship with Lam and joining Connacht. http://www.the42.ie/jake-heenan-connacht-3002089-Oct2016/
Atlas
Roar Rookie
Hi thanks for that, good info. What happened to Jake Heenan, recall him having a serious injury? I don't blame any player for taking advantage of opportunities they have, careers can be just one injury / concussion away from an abrupt end. Michael Bent had been Taranaki player of the year before leaving, that province list its starting front row and two backs the following season, better prospects than the 10-week season can offer for the ones without Super contracts Bent couldn't get starts for Hurricanes was a surprise when he got that Ireland test jersey. Still with Leinster?
Riccardo
Guest
Not everyone will describe him as good but John Mitchell too...
Derm
Roar Guru
Precisely. Payne was a seasoned professional, Aki wasn't. I don't agree with the use of residency players and welcome the extension to 5, although I think it should have been 7 for Tier One unions. Bent, ironically, fits the bill best although he was neither particularly good nor a seasoned professional but he filled a gap when Leinster and Ireland had a drastic shortage of props. The special project player was part of the IRFUs Player Succession Strategy announced after RWC '11 whose main purpose was to curtail the contracting of capped foreign players into provincial teams. 15 slots - one per position - was the guidelines with 4 NIE plus one special project for the three provinces of Leinster, Munster & Ulster. http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/6806.php Connacht was regarded as a development province and did not have the same budget and was not subject to the quotas. White, Roux (dropped by Leinster), Aki, McCartney, Ah You, Heenan were all brought in to Connacht to bulk out the squad as they didn't have sufficient quality. Pat Lam persuaded many of them to move for a variety of reasons - all of whom have spoken about publicly why they did. The Player Succession Strategy is now finished as guidelines for player contracting. Increasing salaries has seen less and less high profile, expensive capped players in the provincial squads and with the change in residency qualification looming, IRFU started to invest heavily in the domestic player pathway over the last couple of years resulting in the four provincial academies now having 80 players between them. In addition, the IRFU launched its new strategy earlier this year - IQ - which now focuses on finding and developing already Irish-Qualified players not playing in Ireland through the Exiles branch programme operating in the U.K. http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/39718.php#.WRWfE1UrKM8
Julius
Guest
"Does the name Schuster ring any bells?" Would that be the same Schuster that came to NZ as a teenager, played club rugby in Auckland for Marist, made the NZ colts side, moved to Wellington and made the NPC side and from there made the All Blacks? But you think he wasn't part of the NZ system. Hilarious.
Muzzo
Guest
Geeez Akari, Lomax is having a very good game for Tasman, ATM, & he look's the goods, as with another promising player, who just scored his first try for Tasman. Ethan Blackadder,,as the commentators said, looks a chip off the old block.
Atlas
Roar Rookie
Aki - 67 pro games in NZ at NPC and Super, plus more in Chiefs development squad, he was charging an amateur then was he, and now in Ireland's test training squad along with ex Canterbury and Crusaders Tyler Bleyendaal (53 in NZ plus NZ Under 20) before they're even eligible for their test jersey. They hardly moved there as children with mum and dad did they? Michael Bent ring a bell? - apart from a granny, his sole link to Ireland was his sister had holidayed there. Played for Ireland before he'd even met his new Leinster team ...
Derm
Roar Guru
Jared Payne or Bundee Aki were not poached to the Ireland test side. Nor would I describe Aki as a seasoned professional since he was 23/24 when he moved.
Akari
Roar Rookie
I am aware of Tyrell's history and connections and am using the word 'poach' rather loosely in his context. Lomax and Ala'alatoa are nevertheless huge losses to the WBs cause as the WBs have a greater need for both than the ABs. Great for their career and the ABs cause and I do wish them the best.
Akari
Roar Rookie
Get off yours, Julius. Why are you so easily hurt and lash out?
Akari
Roar Rookie
Why don't you do your own homework first. Does the name Schuster ring any bells?
lassitude
Guest
Prefer my players hard baked rather than poached - far less likely to fall apart under pressure.