Caucau quits Fiji

[bayrep]

If you haven't heard already then Caucaunibuca has told the local newspaper in Fiji that he has decided to stay with Fiji rugby. A rather confused guy I would say.

 

[ibeme]

If you haven't heard already then Caucaunibuca has told the local newspaper in Fiji that he has decided to stay with Fiji rugby. A rather confused guy I would say.

He also added that he would stay with Fiji until New Zealand were ready for him. He's just covering his backside in case playing for the All-blacks never becomes a possibility. Good to see national loyalties are alive and well.

 

[bayrep]

If you haven't heard already then Caucaunibuca has told the local newspaper in Fiji that he has decided to stay with Fiji rugby. A rather confused guy I would say.

He also added that he would stay with Fiji until New Zealand were ready for him. He's just covering his backside in case playing for the All-blacks never becomes a possibility. Good to see national loyalties are alive and well.

For Caucaunibuca Its not loyalty its chasing the big bucks. If the IRB ever decide stop spending the money on rather large drinking and eating sessions and instead put that money toward the islands then we wouldnt get situations like this.

Mat McCallum(Spelling) the fiji coach resigned yesterday becuase he is frustrated that the IRB have been all talk and no action. The talk of setting up a joint island team between fiji/samoa and tonga has been talked bout gettting put back to 2006 now. Meaning another revenue chance for the islands blocked.

 

[ozbash]

Fiji winger Rupeni Caucaunibuca has put to bed his dream of playing for the All Blacks and pledged his allegiance to the Fiji national team a week after he shocked the rugby world by turning his back on the latter.


Caucaunibuca, despite featuring for Fiji in the Rugby World Cup, revealed that he wished to pursue a career with the All Blacks and said that he had `done his part for Fiji rugby' much to the annoyance of the Fiji Rugby Union and fans alike.

The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) said at the time that they had in no way pressured the 24-year-old firecracker into the decision and expressed surprise over the move as he was never eligible to play for the All Blacks because he had already played for Fiji.

The exciting winger, who is currently involved in pre-season training with Super 12 team the Auckland Blues, told The Sun newspaper that if his services were not needed by New Zealand, he would in fact be available for Fiji.

 

[thomo]

I think they should change the rules... to make it harder for players born in other countries to play for NZ/Aus/etc. Imagine some of the Pacific countries with all their players available. Tuquiri, Caucau and Rokocoko in the Fijian backline would be awesome!

Thats a good idea in theory but there are many problems with it, take for example Mils Muliaina, born in Samoa but moved to NZ when he was 4 years old, one may argue that whilst he was born in Samoa, Somoan rugby spent not a cent on his development, when he moved to NZ no one knew he existed, he was raised in NZ and has lived there for most of his life, he has an NZ passport, NZ driver's licence and was educated in NZ and grew up with New Zealanders. He was developed by the NZ junior system, they were the ones who paid for his coaching and junior development and they were the ones who brought him through the ranks with the NZ schoolboys and 7's team, I doubt he's ever played rugby in Samoa before. When you take all that into consideration, it seems abit unfair that NZ couldn't play him even though they developed him and were the ones who spent the bucks on him.

Or to drive the point home even further, what would a rule like that do to a guy like George Gregan? Would he not be allowed to play for Australia because he was born in Zambia, even though rugby hardly exists in Zambia? In my opinion that would harm the international game more than the current situation where having a high profile player from a country/ethnic community not normally noted for that sport can raise a sport's profile enourmously within that community. For example Hazem El Masri has done a huge amount for the profile of League in the Lebanese community irrespective of whether he ever plays for Lebanon.

I did say harder not impossible. I'd prefer at least a 10 year residency rule but it should definitely be at least 5 years.

The IRB also needs to look at providing incentives for stars to play for their native minnow countries rather than the more powerful nations.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

A 5-10 year residency rule would be a good idea. However it should only apply when the country of birth is a rugby-playing nation.