I kind of doubt it myself, but only time will tell you're right.
His contract is with Munster and not the IRFU, they will not block it unless like this season they have two players in the same position which are NIQ.
It will be up to Munster if they want to sign him or not, I would expect he will be looking at another contract at the end of this one and that will be up to Munster if they want to use a NIQ slot for him or if they want to use in another slot
I am not sure why you think we will have fewer and few NIQs, the model is in place to sign NIQ and it's up to the province to budget and identify NIQ in budget and not in a position which will affect the Irish team.
The project player seems dead in water because of the 5 year rule and the provinces seem to be looking at players who have links to Ireland and are Ireland qualified.
Maybe they will try go after players younger and get them in, play for 5 years and then qualify for Ireland but it's a long time. I don't expect many to do this. Most real young players will still think they have a chance of playing for their home country so won't move
I said the long term trend is fewer and fewer NIQs, which is the reality. Over the last 12 years or so the number allowed has gone from 4+1 to 4 to 3 and now in some cases 2. Whether the number continues to drop to 1 and then 0 is anyone's guess.
NIQs next season:
Connacht: Shamus Hurley-Langton, John Porch, Santiago Cordero
Leinster: R. G. Snyman, Jordie Barrett
Münster: Jean Kleyn, Alex Nankivell
Ulster: Werner Kok
I'm looking forward to Connachts back 3 doing some wonders next year. Cordero is such a special player.
For the non-Spanish speakers among ye, Cordero is Spanish for Lamb.
Porch must surely be IQ at this stage
Not unless he turns out for the Ireland sevens team.
John Porch can never be IQ as neither he, his parents nor his grandparents were born in Ireland.
Does he not qualify under residency later this year ?
World Rugby : Regulation 8.1c
(c) the Player has completed sixty consecutive months of Residence immediately preceding the time of playing
He played sevens for Australia so is ineligible for residency
He can only become IQ if he plays sevens for Ireland in events which count for Olympic qualification
Only birthright enables a switch. Residency does not enable a switch.
Even after a 'stand down' period ?
Is he good enough to play for Ireland?
So, in theory, if Porch was selected for the Ireland 7s at the Paris Olympics (not sure of excat dates here) he could be 'un captured' from OZ ?
No, he's not eligible to represent Ireland. Not in 15's, not in 7's, and not at the Olympics.
Has the number dropped because the IRFU have blocked or the number dropped because the provinces are trying to restrict budget? it was confirmed that Munster still have the external funding they got for Snyman and DDL but they are putting that money into the academy and not into NIQ.
It is also whispered that they will be signing a "big" name player with the money they got from the French lad, so that would bring them back up to 3, big is a media reference so it could be anyone.
Ulster have dropped back because of budget issues. Connacht as well becuase money has been moved from the squad to rebuilding the stadium
Explanation of the eligibility rules are here for anyone that wants to read up on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_rugby_union_eligibility_rules#Exceptions_to_the_one-country-for-life_rule
he can transfer under rule 8.7.1.
no?
isnt that what fekitoa did?
Fekitoa had a birthright claim under 8.6
in 8.7.1 it states, the Player may apply to represent the new Olympic Sevens Team provided the Player has, in addition to meeting the requirements of Regulation 8.6; …
the "birthright" rule came in AFTER fekitoa lined out for the tongan sevens, which then allowed him to line out for the tongan 15s
this was in 2021.
the birthright rule didnt come in until 2022
as far as i am aware this route is still open to Porch
ah ok, yeah i see that now.
8.1 (a) or (b) means he needs irish lineage up to his grandparents
which presumably he doesnt have.
Yes. It's not what Fekitoa did, but Porch could;
All of this is completely moot, the guy is 30 years old and he's not going to take up sevens again. But it's technically possible.
it IS what Fetitoa did, as the birthright rule didnt exist when he went the olympic route to transfer.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/14/sport/malakai-fekitoa-rugby-world-cup-tonga-all-blacks-spt-intl/index.html
A rule permitting players to switch allegiances if they compete in an Olympic qualifying competition for rugby sevens – a shortened, seven-a-side format of the sport – enabled Fekitoa to represent Tonga in Monaco two years ago.
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/former-all-blacks-star-malakai-fekitoa-switches-international-allegiance-to-represent-tonga/
Porch needs to have at least an irish grandparent, even to go down the sevens route to transfer.
https://www.world.rugby/organisation/governance/regulations/reg-8
So he could play for us at the Olympics, but never in the Six Nations? I didn't realise that.
(again, all moot but very interesting)
no, he cant even transfer to the olympic team because the olympic rule 8.7 stills requires you to comply with section 8.6 which is lineage.
i didn't realise this either till this morning, as moot as it is.
No, he cannot play for us in the Olympics. He's not eligible to represent Ireland. He doesn't have the required birthright to switch to Ireland from Australia. The Olympics abide by World Rugby regulations for the Olympic 7's event. 8.7.1 Where a Player who has represented an Olympic Sevens Team associated with a Union wishes to represent an Olympic Sevens Team associated with a different Union in an Olympic Event, the Player may apply to represent the new Olympic Sevens Team provided the Player has, in addition to meeting the requirements of Regulation 8.6; … Birthright Transfer
8.6 A Player who has represented one Union (as set out in Regulation 8.2 to 8.4) may apply to represent a new Union provided that:
(i) the Player meets the eligibility criteria set out in Regulation 8.1(a) or 8.1(b) in relation to the new Union; and
(ii) at least three years have passed since the Player last represented their former Union; and
(iii) the approval of World Rugby is obtained.
8.1 Subject to Regulation 8.2, a Player may only play for the senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team, the next senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team and the senior National Representative Sevens Team of the Union of the country with which the Player has a genuine, close, credible and established national link in which:
(a) the Player was born; or
(b) one parent or grandparent was born; or
(c) the Player has completed sixty [1] consecutive months of Residence immediately preceding the time of playing; or
(d) the Player has completed ten years of cumulative Residence preceding the time of playing.
A change to CC funding
New thread created for this discussion to keep this one about the Ireland team rather than the money / provinces:
Oooops, didn't check for a new thread. Sorry
What's with the budget issues? Aren't they funded by the unipn?
It doesn't make sense to me to put it down to budget, given you could get pretty good quality uncapped New Zealanders and South Africans for probably the same amount you'd pay the Irish players. There have also been a lot of rumours about front row signings being blocked over the past decade.
It's difficult to find official IRFU pronouncements on curtailing NIQ numbers, but this thread from 13 years ago makes for interesting reading https://www.therugbyforum.com/threads/irish-teams-might-be-reducing-the-number-of-non-irish-qualified-players.21990/
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