irish qualified

snow mad

is there anywhere i can find a full list of irish qualified players

Ulster seem to have a number of players that can qualify through playing 3 years here there is strouss any more we could see being tied down this year

GerM

snow mad wrote: »

is there anywhere i can find a full list of irish qualified players

Ulster seem to have a number of players that can qualify through playing 3 years here there is strouss any more we could see being tied down this year

Each province has 5 foreign players, at least one of whom must be eligible, after three year's of residency, to play for Ireland i.e. they have never represented another country's national side, sevens side or second side (generally the A team). Connacht are given leeway in relation to the rule as they are considered somewhat more of a developing side. I'm open to correction on the Connacht players as some may be IQ sooner or already. I'm sure Nikora and Fifita are already. You can take that everyone else in Irish rugby is eligible for the national side. There's also a glut of Irish playing in England, particularly Division 1.

The players, by province are:

Leinster
Quinn Roux
Isa Nacewa
Heinke Van der Merwe
Andrew Goodman
Richardt Strauss (qualifies later this year)

Ulster
Johann Muller
John Afoa
Ruan Pienaar
Nick Williams
Jared Payne (qualified in 2014)

Munster
BJ Botha
Wian du Preez
Casey Laulala
Doug Howlett
CJ Stander (will qualify in 2015 if he stays)

Connacht
George Nauopu
Nathan White (qualifies in 2014)
Dan Parks
Danie Poolman (qualifies in 2015)
Rodney Ah You (qualified next year, I think?)
Ettienne Reynecke
Fetu'u Vainikolo

totallegend

Others that may be of interest;

Robbie Diack (Ulster) now Irish-qualified on basis of residency
Leo Auva'a (Leinster) as above

Michael Bent (Leinster); yet to arrive from Oz but qualified via parentage
Tom Denton (Leinster); in his first season, English-born but qualified via parentage
Sean Doyle (Ulster); only a short-term deal, he's Australian but Irish-qualified.

Am I right in saying that Miah Nikora has now qualified on the basis of residency?

snow mad

totallegend wrote: »

Am I right in saying that Miah Nikora has now qualified on the basis of residency?

earliest mention i can find of him on the connacht website is july 09 so think he should be

bilston

snow mad wrote: »

Ulster seem to have a number of players that can qualify through playing 3 years here there is strouss any more we could see being tied down this year

Only Jared Payne at Ulster will qualify in three years (less than 2 years now). I think the provinces are only allowed one Project Player anyway. Although Robert Herring is an interesting one, I still haven't seen how he is Irish qualified? Must be a grandparent?

The interesting thing is that teams are increasingly making their U20 side their "second team" which means that once a player plays U20 rugby for their country they are tied to them for life. I would guess that in 70 or 80% (probably a higher percentage outside of Eng/NZ and SA) of cases if a player doesn't make his country's U20 side he probably won't make it as a top level pro so this eventually might make the Project Player scheme fairly redundant.

snow mad

as far as I can see this is a list of IQ players that possible play for the senior and wolf hound squads this season prob missed a few.

props: healy, ross, court, fitzpatrick, hagan, loughney, wilkinson, kilcoyne, mccallister, jack mcgrath.

hookers best, strauss, cronin, sherry, varley, harris wrirht.

locks o connell, ryan, tuohy, toner, denton, cullen, o callaghen, muldoon, mccarthy.

back row heaslip, ferris, o brein, o mahony, henry, mclaughlin, henderson, robbie diach, dom ryan, rhys ruddoch, tommy o donnell, james coughlan, sean dougal, auva's, paddy butler.

9 reddan, murrey, boss, p marshal, o leary, cooney.

10 sexton, madigan, o gara, keatly, jackson.

centres o driscal cave, downey, darcy, o malley, wallace, barnes, jj han, m allen, l marshal, b macken, i dineen, mcsherry.

wings bowe, earls, trimble, fitz[when fit], d kearney, gilroy, zebo, mcfadden, carr, conway, scot deasey.

full back kearney, felix jones, adam darcy.

obviously no where near all of these are going to get near the training squads never mind match day. but is an impressive list all the same.

of the younger players who do you think will make the step up this year