Exodus 2018
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Toni Pulu to Brumbies. Not NZ eligible but an NZ product.
Brumbies sign Chiefs winger Toni Pulu, Henry Speight loaned to Ulster
The ACT Brumbies have signed Waikato Chiefs winger Toni Pulu for the 2019 Super Rugby season.
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@mikedogz said in Exodus 2018:
Toni Pulu to Brumbies. Not NZ eligible but an NZ product.
The ACT Brumbies have signed Waikato Chiefs winger Toni Pulu for the 2019 Super Rugby season.
Locked in for Niue?
You'd think the big NH clubs would come knocking. Not much danger of losing him to test duty.
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@booboo said in Exodus 2018:
@mikedogz said in Exodus 2018:
Toni Pulu to Brumbies. Not NZ eligible but an NZ product.
The ACT Brumbies have signed Waikato Chiefs winger Toni Pulu for the 2019 Super Rugby season.
Locked in for Niue?
You'd think the big NH clubs would come knocking. Not much danger of losing him to test duty.
That actually sucks for him as I assume he would have been eligible for other teams who have proper international calendars. Wasn't he born in the states?
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@nepia said in Exodus 2018:
That actually sucks for him as I assume he would have been eligible for other teams who have proper international calendars. Wasn't he born in the states?
LA.
Seems an odd career choice at 29 years to go from the Chiefs to the Brumbies, woulda thought the NH woulda been calling.
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@nepia said in Exodus 2018:
@booboo said in Exodus 2018:
@mikedogz said in Exodus 2018:
Toni Pulu to Brumbies. Not NZ eligible but an NZ product.
The ACT Brumbies have signed Waikato Chiefs winger Toni Pulu for the 2019 Super Rugby season.
Locked in for Niue?
You'd think the big NH clubs would come knocking. Not much danger of losing him to test duty.
That actually sucks for him as I assume he would have been eligible for other teams who have proper international calendars. Wasn't he born in the states?
Totai Kefu mentioned him, among a few others, who said were potentially wanting to play for Tonga.
But Pulu would have to go through the olympic loophole to be able to do that.
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It is being reported Pulu is immediately eligible for the Wallabies
New Brumbies signing Toni Pulu is eligible to play for the Wallabies
‘Fastest man in NZ rugby’ enters Wallabies frame
New Brumbies signing Toni Pulu is immediately eligible to play for the Wallabies thanks to a dispensation granted by World Rugby.
The former Chiefs flyer holds an Australian passport and has previously played sevens for Niue — his ancestral home.
But a Rugby Australia spokesman told foxsports.com.au that World Rugby had cleared the 29-year-old speedster for Wallabies takeoff should coach Michael Cheika come calling.
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@kiwimurph under what rules has he been granted dispensation, odd decision?
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@kiwimurph Hmmm, I'd be really keen to find out more about that dispensation, such as under which rule(s) and what were the reasons for granting dispensation.
You'd think that - under Reg 8.12 - he first has to make use of the Olympic loophole and play during 5 legs of the 2018-2019 World Sevens Series for the Aussie 7s team.
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It's called the Gosper Rule.
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@majorrage The first country that plays the Wallabies squad in which he is named, would definitely have to raise the issue with World Rugby, whichever tier they're from, or ask for proof of eligibility (e.g., a written dispensation from WR).
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@antipodean said in Exodus 2018:
It's called the Gosper Rule.
Did they ask for the special dispensation by hounding him on Twitter?
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Off the top of my head I think that there is an avenue to appeal eligibility if the 'locking' reasons are light. eg minimal game time at a low level game.
I'm not sure about Pulu's gametime for Niue but am guessing it would have been at the Welly Sevens a number of years back. Maybe it was a short appearance?I was also bemused about his shift but this now makes sense if Australian rugby has trawled for eligible players and made him an offer.
Edit: not much online with a quick search but I found one reference to him playing 3 tournaments for them - 2 in Welly and a Gold Coast one
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@stargazer said in Exodus 2018:
@crucial I can't find a dispensation rule for minimum game time. Do you know where to find it?
.My search also came up with one of the top 10 tries of the round on YouTube.
So it doesn't look like it is a case of 10 mins on the field as a replacement hindering his career. He made a conscious decision to represent Niue. Would be very interested to see/understand the dispensation as it seems that some kind of 'minnows don't count' criteria has been enacted.
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@stargazer said in Exodus 2018:
As could be expected, all the advocates of allowing capped Pacific players change eligibility to the country of their heritage are up in arms after the news about Pulu's alleged Aussie eligibility.
True dat!
It does highlight the issues in trying to solve the perceived problem of eligibility when they work the other way.
Pulu was born in the US and the US has previously questioned whether he could play for them. He is Niuean by heritage and has played for them. Somewhere along the line he also gained Australian citizenship (which had to be a deliberate application on his part as he wasn't born there) but has also spent his career playing in NZ for NZ sides while residing here full time.
Of all of these things, as far as we know, his Oz ties are the 'lightest' yet somehow the so called strict WR regulations can offer a dispensation there.
If the Niue lock is cut he presumably qualifies for NZ, Oz, Niue, USA and by some accounts Tonga. Oz obviously offers the best combo of earnings and international eligibility.
