Bit of poaching stuff...
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If his South Africa A appearances were against an opposition that wasn't that nation's designated A team then he's still good. And so long as he's resident in his new nation by 31 December 2017 then he'll only need to serve 3 years of eligibility as the five-year rule comes into effect on 1 January 2020.
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@wurzel said in Bit of poaching stuff...:
If his South Africa A appearances were against an opposition that wasn't that nation's designated A team then he's still good. And so long as he's resident in his new nation by 31 December 2017 then he'll only need to serve 3 years of eligibility as the five-year rule comes into effect on 1 January 2020.
It doesn't have to be a country's designated A team. It must be either the the senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team or the next senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team of a country.
This is the relevant bit of Regulation 8 of the World Rugby Handbook:
8.3 For the purposes of this Regulation, a Player is deemed to have played for the senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team or the next senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team of a Union if: (a) He is selected for such team to play in an International Match against the senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team or the next senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team of another Union (or in a fifteen-a-side international Match against another Union’s senior or next senior Touring Squad during a World Rugby approved International Tour) and is present at the Match played by that team either as a replacement, substitute or a playing member of that team and has, at the time of the Match, reached the age of majority;
I have no idea whether South Africa 'A' is officially that second national team. They may not be, just like NZ 'A' never was (the Junior All Blacks are). But in any case, until the 1st of July, the opponent team - the French Barbarians - weren't the next senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team of another Union.
Interestingly, only about 10 days ago, the French Rugby Union decided to designate the French Barbarians as its next senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team. The reason for this seemed to be that they could force clubs to release players for this team, without it costing the players annual leave days. The decision was also, that this would retrospectively apply from the date of 1 July (so that's after the June tests).
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POSTED ON 23/10/17
THE FRENCH BARBARIANS BECOME A NATIONAL TEAM
From this season 2017-2018, the team of "French Barbarians" is integrated into the sports policy of the FFR as the second National Team.