The rules in rugby are clear on this matter.
Look at World Rugby – Regulation 9 – Player Availability.
This says that clubs cannot block selection of players to a national team.
Clause 9.3 No Union, Association, Rugby Body or Club whether by contract, conduct or otherwise may inhibit, prevent, discourage, disincentivise or render unavailable any Player from selection, attendance and appearance in a National Representative Team or National Squad session when such request for selection, attendance and appearance is made in accordance with the provisions of this Regulation 9. Any agreement and/or arrangement between a Player and a Rugby Body or Club or between a Union or an Association and a Rugby Body or Club (and/or any proposal made and/or attempted to be made howsoever communicated) which is contrary to this Regulation 9.3 is prohibited, including, but not limited to any agreement and/or arrangement and/or proposal pursuant to which a Player is (or would be) unable to exercise the right to play for a Union.
Samu Kerevi and Quade Cooper play for Suntory Goliaths and Hanazono Kintetsu Liners respectively. They were playing for Australia wearing the Wallaby Jersey, one would think something to be highly valued, then suddenly the tell all the world they are no longer available.
They tell us their club commitments are more important. I say the clubs and JRFU are in breach of Regulation 9.
So what is Andy Marinos doing about this? Wasn’t it Japan who wanted Rugby Australia (RA) to help it rejoin the Pacific rugby competitions?
Isn’t it Japan who wants to be part of the Rugby Championship and looking for Australia’s support? Isn’t it Japan who wants Australia to visit and to play tests against its national side?
Wasn’t it Australia who were one of Japan’s biggest supporters to win the World Cup? Why would Japanese Rugby want to irritate RA?
Where are all the Australian influencers of all things Rugby? Does Eddie Jones, the adviser/consultant to Suntory Rugby and current coach of England have anything to do with the decision about as he put it “the hard running Kerevi” to play his precious England team?
When are we going to hear from Andy Marinos and the board of RA about this outrage? Is Australia going to allow this to happen, because if you allow it once it will create a precedent for the future?
When is RA going to apply pressure to JRFU? What punitive action is going to be taken by World Rugby under clause 9.3? What is JRFU saying about this, what is their response? Come on what the hell!!
Australia is a small country in numbers, but has a big influence in many matters. Just ask the Chinese about Australia as they try and impose punitive action on our trade and politics.
We demand action and answers. All I’m hearing at the moment is crickets.
This is outrageous! I say everything is off the table with Japanese Rugby until this is resolved. No more cooperation or support from Australian rugby until we get a resolution.
OMO
Roar Rookie
Fair enough Gatesy, I feel the same way as you, but they will still need the backing of "big" countries, like Australia.
gatesy
Roar Guru
They will have to change their style radically, if they want to constantly beat the likes of the Top 5 and will either need to find homegrown "giants" or recruit more non-Japanese, or they will never improve. Simple physics and physiology.
OMO
Roar Rookie
What are you suggesting here gatesy? Just need some clarification.
Bobby
Roar Rookie
Couldn't be bothered.
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
They however didn't qualify under the Giteau law so no reason for them to believe they would be eligible.
gatesy
Roar Guru
Sinclair, I wouldn't be so sure about their commitment to developing talent. A NH tour cauldron is probably not the place to do it. If you had a sponsor with bottomless pockets, you could probably take a development squad, but (and correct me if I am wrong) there are no mid-week games, no opportunities for the 'dirt trackers', so it is full on, and the best alternative is to leave those developers at home to get a good pre-season in, with the skills coaches, before the Wallabies return to their franchises. Sometimes, having the space to think about your future and your skills can be just as important as being around the top players, as much as any player would love to be in the environment. If I were a player like Lolesio (before his callup) or Wilson etc, I would be hurting, being left behind, and that may not be a bad thing. At least a season ending injury settles any question of non-selection beyond doubt, but non-selection of itself, must throw up lots of interesting thoughts. Not that I ever got close enough to find out.
gatesy
Roar Guru
Cooper would have been entitled to believe that Thorne and Cheika had effectively ended his chances of ever being a Wallaby again. Not so for Kerevi and McMahon.
gatesy
Roar Guru
If they are going to try and muscle into the international top 10 they will have to do it with a lot of bigger bodies. You know what that means!
gatesy
Roar Guru
That's about as far off the mark as you can get. If you know something about the law of contract that we have missed, please share it.
gatesy
Roar Guru
If you are going to quote the law, you also have to quote the "..or else..". There does not appear to be a sanction for a breach of 9.3, so I don't imagine the players' employers are running scared, and it may also be that those same people have little or no involvement in Japan Rugby, so whatever moral obligations Japan may owe to RA, they are in a purely commercial relationship, ie they offered these guys a lot of money, the players accepted and, now they must honour their contracts. Whether Reg 9 is implemented or not, these guys probably want to be offered contract renewals. If they take them, then RA can make up its own mind about their commitment to the Green and Gold.
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
Yep.
Bobby
Roar Rookie
Mate the Akai double VCR broke but I was able to listen to my favourite Chad Morgan song “sheik of scrubby Creek”, cassette on my old ghetto blaster :happy: :happy:
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Yep but the coach shouldnt be argueing in public or selecting the wrong people just make a point. That is not acceptable to me but its something Rennie has done more than once this year.
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
And yet here we are. Arguing about 3 players sticking to their club contracts... 2 not even eligible under Giteau law.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Im not so sure I agree with you there. With a 37 man roster he had the opportunity to have backups in all positions but chose not to. I see it as either petulance or bad management.
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
He's looked at the roster of who's playing overseas and decided he'd very much like those players in his team. Giteau law prevents that. So he has to build a case to overturn it.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
I hope thats not the case. Make your points in a private room not by handicapping a touring team. I do get where you are coming from and maybe thats what he has to do to get attention But I would hope not.
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
It's hard to know where to start with this ludicrous comment. I'm going to assume you're still drunk from a big night watching VHS cassettes.
Bobby
Roar Rookie
Doc, you may not know it, but "contracts" can be varied by mutual consent, even in the medical profession. :happy: :happy: it's not a difficult concept to grasp. If one of the parties disagree (in this case, the players, for whatever reason), then the contracts T and C's are enforceable. I hope your medical prowess is of a higher standard than your legal one :happy: :happy: :happy: :happy:
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
Consequences for sticking to your contract :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: Good one.