Opinion – Them’s the Rules

UNDER the current World Rugby regulations, if a person lives in this country, or any country for that matter, for three years, they are eligible to play for that country on the international stage. That is the rule. I donโ€™t like the rule, but that is the rule.
So what has baffled me in recent weeks is that certain members of the media have decided to have a cut off of CJ Stander for being allowed to play for Ireland. What is the basis for this? It is a rule, the IRFU have not broken it, so where is the issue? If the people who wrote about this (from other sporting backgrounds) concentrated more on their own chosen sportโ€™s indiscretions, then it would be of more interest to all.
On the rule itself, it would be remiss of me to write a column and not give my own judgement. I would hate to think, that today, somewhere in the southern hemisphere, there is a person putting on their boots who has more of a chance to play for Ireland than someone from Limerick. That, I cannot agree with, but themโ€™s the rules.

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