Eligibility rules change a huge boost for Pacific islanders

THE Springboks are set to face a host of former All Blacks wearing the colours of Samoa at next year’s Rugby World Cup due to a change in rugby’s eligibility regulations.

An unforeseen loophole caused by Sevens rugby’s inclusion in the Olympic Games is likely to lead to the strengthening of Pacific island nations as many recent All Blacks can become eligible to represent Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.

Capped All Blacks such as Isaia Toeava, Tim Nanai-Williams and Leila Masaga could be in Samoa’s colours against the Boks in England next year.

After Sevens rugby was included as an Olympic Sport, where it will debut in Rio 2016, the International Rugby Board (IRB) was forced to insert a sub- clause in section 8 of the regulations that govern the sport to fall in line with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) charter.

For more than a decade players have only been allowed to compete for one nation in international rugby.

But the IOC regulations allow athletes to compete for the country of which they hold a passport, even if they have competed for a different nation previously.

In the past rugby players were eligible to play for a country through their parentage or residency.

Any player wanting to capitalise on the loophole will have to meet two criteria — to play for the “new” country during next season’s IRB World Sevens Series, which is a qualifying event for the 2016 Olympics and not to have played international rugby for another nation 18 months prior to the start of the qualification tournament.

However, the IRB regulations committee will review each individual case on its merits, giving it leeway to block or discourage abuse of the system.

Countries could use the loophole strategically by qualifying players for Rugby World Cup 2015 through the Sevens World Series, with no intention of taking them to the Olympics.

In an effort to curb mass cross-country switching the 18-month test stand-down period for Rio 2016 will be increased to a three-year stand-down for the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Furthermore, the move is only in one direction — from rugby to the Olympics (and by extension the RWC). There can be no switching back once a player has changed in order to represent their nations at the Olympic Games.

Already there are reports out of Fiji that Joe Rokocoko, who played 68 Tests for the All Blacks, is hoping to be included in their 2016 Olympic and 2015 World Cup squads.

Others such as 2011 World Cup winner Toeava, Fijian flyer Sitiveni Sivivatu and Tongan born Sam Tuitupou are looking to turn out for their island nations.

The All Blacks stand to be the biggest suppliers of players under these conditions with upwards of a dozen capped Pacific islanders able to qualify for Fiji, Tonga and Samoa and others such as flyhalves Nick