For Australians who accuse the AB's of pinching islanders...

[Bib]

Haha love it, also i forgot vickerman, how could i forget that

 

[Anonymous]

Something like 5 years residency perhaps?

Cricket has it right with a 4 year residency deal.

Take Neil Johnson, who played for Zimbabwe in the late 90s and then emigrated to South Africa, just now he has become eligible to play for the South African side.

 

[Roosterphin]

Yeah I was going to say I remembered Umaga for the blacks in JL Rugby...The commentators seemed most exited when he got the ball...

Wasnt Tana a League junior??

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Yeah I was going to say I remembered Umaga for the blacks in JL Rugby...The commentators seemed most exited when he got the ball...

Wasnt Tana a League junior??

Yeah he played for the Junior Kiwis and did a short stint with the Knights juniors. He certainly never played for Tonga as he wouldn't even have been elegible, he was born in NZ and his family are Samoan. As other have mentioned his brtother Mike played for Samoa, they actually faced off in a test on one occaision.

 

[Johns Magic]

Yeah he played for the Junior Kiwis and did a short stint with the Knights juniors

Surely you don't mean Newcastle Knights?

 

[ThrashViking]

Yeah, it's true.
He was on trial with them, aparently he was lethal with Ruben Wiki in the junior kiwis.

 

[Anonymous]

If you look at it that way you cant really say that Rathbone, Samo, Paul were pinched then

What are you talking about?? If someone is born in NZ and lives their whole life in NZ, or is born elsewhere and comes to NZ as a young child, they're NZers. If they move to NZ when they're in their late teens or 20s, and are playing for us within a few years, well they're poached aren't they. And I daresay that Samo and Rathbone might full into the latter category when it comes to Australia.

 

[ripper]

Funnily enough only 3 of the current AB's - Rocokoko, Milsy and Jerry were born in the Pacific Islands.

The only other person not born in NZ was Mehrts - but thats a different story - hes as kiwi as Phar Lap.

 

[Iafeta]

Can someone name me a single Islander we have pinched anyway?? All of the current team are either NZ born or came to NZ as kids, that I can think of. The only one we've really pinched is Sivivatu, who I assume is going to get a run some time in the future.

Mils was born in Samoa, so was Joe Rockocoko (Fiji) and 1 other All Black that I can't quite put a name to at this time.

But, look at the Pacific Island teams at the World Cup, most coached by New Zealanders, had a large quotient of not only New Zealand based players but New Zealand born players; if you want to look at a break down of where each player comes from, its staggering just how much spread and influence New Zealand has.

 

[JJ]

Can someone name me a single Islander we have pinched anyway?? All of the current team are either NZ born or came to NZ as kids, that I can think of. The only one we've really pinched is Sivivatu, who I assume is going to get a run some time in the future.

Joeli Vidiri was one that was definitely pinched...

Steve Devine :lol: :lol: (can I call Aust an island???)

Others like Alama played for Samoa first, but were really Kiwis, others like Bunce just played for whoever would have them.

Seems to me apart from the money issue, part of the problem is in the island people generally who weem to aspire to play for the All Blacks rather than their homeland

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Joeli Vidiri was one that was definitely pinched...

Steve Devine :lol: :lol: (can I call Aust an island???)

I'll pay on Vidiri, but how long did he last anyway?

Devine couldn't even get a S12 contract in Australia so they only have themselves to blame there, kinda ironic considering the piss-poor halves NSW are dooged with.

 

[JJ]

Joeli Vidiri was one that was definitely pinched...

Steve Devine :lol: :lol: (can I call Aust an island???)

I'll pay on Vidiri, but how long did he last anyway?

Devine couldn't even get a S12 contract in Australia so they only have themselves to blame there, kinda ironic considering the piss-poor halves NSW are dooged with.

Vidiri got sick - but had already played for Fiji, and was arguably the best winger in Super 12 for a few seasons (I am a Counties fan, so perhaps biased, but cut me some slack)

Devine I mentioned tongue in cheek, but he had already played 7s for Aust, so in my book that should make him ineligible (Whittaker is better than him anyway)

 

[bayrep]

I saw Vidiri at one of the Auckland S12 games this year. I still feel for the guy, top of his game then to have it cut short. In his hay day I always thought he was better than Lomu. He had a better all round game.

Anyway I am side tracking the topic.........as you were

 

[kiwitiger]

Yeah he played for the Junior Kiwis and did a short stint with the Knights juniors

Surely you don't mean Newcastle Knights?

Yep

 

[Svaran]

Others like Alama played for Samoa first, but were really Kiwis, others like Bunce just played for whoever would have them.

Alama came here New Zealand for university studies, it was during this time he took up union at the age of 19 played for Wests along side the likes of Filo titia and Rodney So'oialo.

 

[gunnamatta bay]

Has anyone got the number of NZ registered players available as compared to the same in Oz?

I think you'll find an enormous difference. Therefore is it little wonder we have to look far and wide for players? Union in Oz is a minnow compared to AFL, league and soccer. Open any paper and union is a non event and only rates a mention during the bledisloe cup. Most Victorians don't know the difference between league and union and couldn't give a stuff. Melbourne Storm won a comp back in 99 but still struggle for recognition. They rely on blowins from up north and nz for support.

I reckon the fact the Wallabies have been so successful is a minor miracle.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I reckon the fact the Wallabies have been so successful is a minor miracle.

I think Wallaby success has had a lot to do with Rugby's entrenchment as the #1 sport among the elite schools of Sydney. The same players who go on to play for clubs and the Wallbies are the people who go on the occupy many top positions in business and government, so what Union lacks in numbers, it makes up for with $$ and influence.

 

[douglasallen91]

here is a list of players that was born in a different country than the team they played for at the last rugby union world cup

http://www.nospam25.com.au/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=12329#post12329

38 players that was born in new zealand played for another team at the last world cup!

 

[gunnamatta bay]

I reckon the fact the Wallabies have been so successful is a minor miracle.

I think Wallaby success has had a lot to do with Rugby's entrenchment as the #1 sport among the elite schools of Sydney. The same players who go on to play for clubs and the Wallbies are the people who go on the occupy many top positions in business and government, so what Union lacks in numbers, it makes up for with $$ and influence.

You still need the cattle. The range rover driving leather patch brigade are small in number. Union is a minor game in Oz with very few juniors. Therefore it is amazing the Wallabies do so well.

Does anyone have the junior figures for both countries? I did see them once and the difference was huge.

 

[Polynesian Warrior]

I reckon the fact the Wallabies have been so successful is a minor miracle.

I think Wallaby success has had a lot to do with Rugby's entrenchment as the #1 sport among the elite schools of Sydney. The same players who go on to play for clubs and the Wallbies are the people who go on the occupy many top positions in business and government, so what Union lacks in numbers, it makes up for with $$ and influence.

You still need the cattle. The range rover driving leather patch brigade are small in number. Union is a minor game in Oz with very few juniors. Therefore it is amazing the Wallabies do so well.

Does anyone have the junior figures for both countries? I did see them once and the difference was huge.

Rugby union has a large Jr's in Australia and its not just the private schools that plays them now .
Most states schools in QLD and NSW who never had a union as a school sport now has many teams .
I think last year not one out of eight NSW players in the Australia national rugby union team came from the private GPS schools . They all came from state or public schools .