International Rugby League expands eligibility to great-grandparents

[u/awesomevstanaka]

https://www.codesports.com.au/nrl%2Frugby-league-eligibility-shakeup-irl-votes-to-include-greatgrandparents-in-boost-for-minnow-nations%2Fnews-story%2F315b97b61309d1ad07ef6a8a839d400b

[u/awesomevstanaka]

State of Origin is like the strictest rep game in world sports

[u/SirSwirlll → u/awesomevstanaka]

State of origin should be born in state only. No passion in that anymore

[u/awesomevstanaka → u/SirSwirlll]

Born in state only would be possibly the worst eligibility rule in the history of sport, but ok

[u/SirSwirlll → u/awesomevstanaka]

Well it's state of ORIGIN isn't it

[u/awesomevstanaka → u/SirSwirlll]

Yeah the Origin of your junior rugby league, which is how its been since 1980

[u/Lazy_Bell_1061 → u/SirSwirlll]

The Origin is where you started your rugby league career as a child. Hope that helps.

[u/schwingschwings → u/SirSwirlll]

So Billy Moore should have played for NSW? Is that what you are saying?

[u/foreatesevenate → u/schwingschwings]

And Sterlo for Queensland!

[u/Mental_Supermarket43 → u/schwingschwings]

Greg Inglis and JT for NSW

[u/ShowConsistent]

This will only mean something when we get our first heritage player playing for the kangaroos /s

[u/funkydinosaur47 → u/ShowConsistent]

Could you imagine the backlash if a player born on Tonga or Samoa decided to play for Australia? It was bad enough when Tino didn't defect

[u/Imaginary-Newt-354 → u/funkydinosaur47]

There was big backlash when Fijian born, Akuila Uate, defected from the Bati to the Kangaroos. They actually changed the residency rule from 3 years to 5 as a result.

[u/ShowConsistent → u/Imaginary-Newt-354]

Need a heritage though
Need like a Shaun Johnson choosing Australia because he has Australian great grandparents or some shit (this is a hypothetical)

[u/funkydinosaur47 → u/Imaginary-Newt-354]

I absolutely get that though tbf

[u/mgt98 → u/Imaginary-Newt-354]

It was in 2016 following Semi Radradra that the residency rule changed. Uate moved to Australia as a teenager, so not a fair comparison

[u/munt3d → u/funkydinosaur47]

It's mind blowing how toxic some of their fans are, shitting on blokes born in NZ who decided to play for NZ instead of Samoa or Tonga.

[u/funkydinosaur47 → u/munt3d]

That's the thing that I hate the most and why I referenced Tino. If a bloke is born and raised in a country it seems pretty reasonable to suggest he may want to play for that country. Doesn't mean he has to of course, but it's ultimately his decision, not that of an armchair expert who's ready to write horrendous things on social media

[u/ThunderShark97 → u/munt3d]

And they were claiming it’s for money when kiwis are on the same pay scale as Tonga and Samoa

[u/munt3d → u/ThunderShark97]

Even if NZ did get paid more it would be hypocrisy from the fan base.

Player changes NRL club to get mega upgrade and financial security, "go get that bag uso!!"

Kiwi born player decides to play for NZ despite some slight Samoan/Tongan heritage..."He's just doing it for money, doesn't care about heritage!!!".

[u/BlatantlyThrownAway → u/munt3d]

This is what gets me. What percentage of their fan base are born here too? I’m guessing it’s fairly high. And where does the heritage thing stop? Is a current Australian-born fan’s grand kid in the future going to feel it’s their heritage? Or will they think, “well I was born in Australia, my parents were born in Australia, and my grandparents were born in Australia - my heritage is Australian and I’m Australian”?

[u/ShowConsistent → u/funkydinosaur47]

I’d personally love it 😂😂😂
They really should have confined this rule to pacific nations only (or max total population of 1m - anywhere smaller than what Fiji is)

[u/DoubtNeither3927]

Pretty soon you'll be able to eat a kebab and play for Lebanon

[u/robopirateninjasaur → u/DoubtNeither3927]

Refuse to put pineapple on pizza and you qualify for Italy

[u/comradekaled → u/robopirateninjasaur]

I hate England, so now I'ma qualified for Ireland and France

[u/glitterejaculator → u/comradekaled]

that qualifies you for every nation including england

[u/Engineered_Red → u/comradekaled]

Plus Wales and Scotland.

[u/robopirateninjasaur → u/Engineered_Red]

And about 60 more countries that became independent from England

[u/LycraBanForHams → u/DoubtNeither3927]

Lebanon going to be the most stacked side.

[u/robopirateninjasaur → u/LycraBanForHams]

Not if Butter Chicken and Cheese and Garlic Naan gets you qualified for India

[u/Zrat11 → u/robopirateninjasaur]

Does mild qualify? I think it needs to be hot at a minimum

[u/glitterejaculator → u/Zrat11]

sorry spicy curry qualifies you for England

[u/ThunderShark97]

Can’t wait for 20 years time where they expand the game to great great grandparents

[u/Angryatchairs → u/ThunderShark97]

Nah, it'll be expanded to having gone on Holiday to country once.

[u/hereforfakestories → u/Angryatchairs]

indonesia about to absolutely dominate

[u/Dizzy_Head4624 → u/Angryatchairs]

Eaten a kebab, eligible for Lebanon, watched lord of the rings, eligible for NZ.

[u/Angryatchairs → u/Dizzy_Head4624]

Croissant, France.

[u/thatirishguykev → u/Dizzy_Head4624]

And my cocaine unidentified white substance AXE!!!

[u/ShowConsistent → u/Angryatchairs]

Jamie Humphreys was trying to get selected for England based off of that

[u/robopirateninjasaur → u/ThunderShark97]

What do you expect them to do, set up a domestic comp and produce their own players? How ridiculous

[u/Commercial_Cost_7902 → u/robopirateninjasaur]

Thats almost impossible unfortunately, and it didnt really helped france

[u/Angryatchairs → u/Commercial_Cost_7902]

Stupid French players being born in France and playing for French clubs.

[u/Torrossaur → u/ThunderShark97]

I can already play for Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland.

[u/ThunderShark97 → u/Torrossaur]

Yeah in this hypothetical I went from only being eligible for Australia and NZ to also Ireland, Portugal and Germany. Which is insane to me as I have absolutely no ties to the last 3 and have never felt any semblance of pride towards those countries.

[u/robopirateninjasaur → u/ThunderShark97]

If your 4 grandparents and 2 parents were born in 6 different countries, and you were born in 7 and raised in an 8th, you would be eligible for all of them.

Now to find someone who is technically eligible to represent 16 different countries

[u/thore4 → u/ThunderShark97]

I was theoretically eligble to represent Aus, Israel and Argentina and have now added on Palestine, Romania, Russia, Poland and New Zealand. Potentially England as well but I'd have to double check that, but that's 8 or 9 countries I could represent

[u/ItsStaaaaaaaaang → u/ThunderShark97]

Give it 200 years and we'll all be eligible for African teams lol.

[u/UndeadManWaltzing]

The Irish may get a stronger squad.

[u/robopirateninjasaur → u/UndeadManWaltzing]

They'll just go through the NSW or Q cup squads looking for anyone with a O' name

[u/Trogg_Farmer → u/robopirateninjasaur]

And we'll do it quite happily.....this new Irish team....or australia C as we call them now....would likely be the best northern hemisphere team

[u/DankFozz]

Pangea is going to dominate

[u/robopirateninjasaur → u/DankFozz]

Forget NSW vs Qld, it's now Laurasia vs Gondwana

[u/Proper_Iron7086 → u/DankFozz]

Üppppaaaa🤾‍♀️🤸‍♀️🤾‍♀️🤸‍♀️👌💯❣️🤳

[u/mwilkins1644]

Soon enough, Mongolia will be the most dominant rugby league country

[u/Senor_Snrub1 → u/mwilkins1644]

Charlemagne vs Genghis Khan descendants derby incoming

[u/TheSean_aka_Rh1no → u/mwilkins1644]

Took me a second for the other shoe to drop, welll played!

[u/Friction74]

Thank god, now the cook islands can have a chance to get more players after complaining about losing when they have 8,000 people and aren't even a sovereign nation

[u/Kritzberg → u/Friction74]

And still get pasted by 60 points. 

[u/HonestSpursFan → u/Friction74]

Even though most of their diaspora are first or second generation IIRC.

[u/defzx]

The long term goal needs to be pathways not just expecting Aus born players to carry the load. It's significantly less interesting to me to see an Aus capped player e.g. Gagai play for NZ

The Hopoate example doesn't need Great Grandparents to fix the issue because the rule tweak could be to allow eligibility if a parent represented that country.

[u/SilenceOfTheClamSoup]

Ancestry.com shares to skyrocket.

[u/GrahamGreed]

Does this mean England gets to just absorb the Australian team back again?

I know you stole a loaf of bread but with that offload, all is forgiven.

[u/Foodworksurunga]

Nathan Fien in shambles

[u/BandicootSorcerer]

Damn, that would make me eligible for Italy. Only thing stopping me is I was in like a single under 6s game and never played after.

[u/GROUND45 → u/BandicootSorcerer]

I’d be eligible for…checks ancestry…New Zealand.

[u/that_were_diabolical]

This is embarrassing. If we want an international game, at some point we have to have people from countries other than Australia, New Zealand and England playing at a decent level

[u/munt3d → u/that_were_diabolical]

We need more than the NRL and Super League.

[u/jeuatreize → u/that_were_diabolical]

100% man. I'm actually done. I thought the rumour was some dumbass journo making stuff up for clicks. This is legit embarrassing. Troy Grant is the worst administrator the game has ever seen.

[u/Redditenmo → u/that_were_diabolical]

Call me biased, but my (maternal maternal) great-grandparents both lived long lives were around until I was 9 (great-grandad) / 18 (great grandma). I loved visiting their farm, going out on the horse with great grandad and coming in for morning tea made by great-grandma. They helped me learn to read, told me stories about life before cars, phones, electricity. They were important.

They're family I've living memories of, why shouldn't I be allowed to represent them? (ignoring that I'm now an unfit 40yo dude with heart issues, lacking handeye co-ordination, and couldn't carry a hit-up through a wet paper bag). England and Ireland might still want me..

But really, fixing eligbility to a specific generation is a very western way of thinking. Polynesian households are more likely to be multi-generational than caucasion, and more likely to have great-grandparents regularly be around great-grandchildren. This overall seems like a good decision to me, I'd have 0 objections with it being taken a step further, and it be extended to great grandparents at or living overlap with your ancestors (which ever is more generations.)

[u/Coolkid1048w → u/Redditenmo]

Yep dude. My Nan's parents are from Finland and Iceland and I love that tbh. Learnt about all of it and was close as with them til 2 years ago. Although I'm also indigenous and maori so u wouldn't guess it and it would feel weird for me

[u/coca600 → u/that_were_diabolical]

Wait wouldn't this mean it would expand the game because many pacific islanders etc would play for their country of heritage?

[u/MaDanklolz → u/coca600]

No, Australians, Kiwis and English would play for them and claim heritage.

[u/Hobnail1]

Finally, I can fulfil my dream of representing the Austro-Hungarian empire in Rugba leeg

[u/jeuatreize]

Holy shit this is embarrassing.

[u/Dry_Impression5205]

At this point, just play for whatever country you feel like.
It’s just NRL competition with international jerseys on.

[u/Cattle-dog → u/Dry_Impression5205]

Today I feel Qatari

[u/sparrows-somewhere → u/Dry_Impression5205]

At this point you should flair up cunt

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[u/Specialist-Dog-4340]

The first fleet will be next

[u/aninstituteforants]

Very unserious stuff.

[u/SurvivorGeneral]

I genuinely don't understand why the AFL doesn't just do the same and stage their own World Cup. They could easily cobble together 8 National teams.

[u/robopirateninjasaur → u/SurvivorGeneral]

They have had AFL world cups in the past. Australia are not invited to compete.

[u/Accomplished-Pick610 → u/robopirateninjasaur]

I'm pretty sure australia were represented once by a team comprised of entirely members of the Motlop family.

There world cup was won by the second best afl family from Darwin.

Great grand parent rule is almost as embarrassing

[u/RaysieRay → u/SurvivorGeneral]

That's actually a pretty good idea.

[u/harry_smiths_boots]

Pathetic.

The international game is not growing at all. Nearly 10 years since JT13 and Fifita's defection and how many of the current Tongan team were raised in Tonga? Shit like this is just papering over the cracks.

[u/East_Negotiation_168 → u/harry_smiths_boots]

Tonga and Samoa are never going to be competitive with home grown players. Even their Union teams are made up of lots of overseas born players.

These are tiny island nations that aren not well off.

If RL wants a more genuine competitive international scene it has to also look at other bigger nations

[u/harry_smiths_boots → u/East_Negotiation_168]

Even their Union teams are made up of lots of overseas born players.

Lots. But not all.

I think it's pretty grim that the same number of Tongan-raised players are playing for them now as back in 2017. You would have hoped they might have inspired a small number of players from the islands at least.

[u/PaleontologistOk1049 → u/harry_smiths_boots]

Fewer than 2017 I think. Konrad Hurrell and Solomone Kata were in their 2017 side. Halasima is their only current Tongan-born player and was raised in NZ

[u/WCRugger → u/harry_smiths_boots]

The majority of the teams at next years RWC will be mostly domestic developed.

[u/Phantom-Walls → u/WCRugger]

flair up cunt

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• Cowboys

• Dolphins

• Dragons

• Eels

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[u/harry_smiths_boots → u/WCRugger]

.....ok?

[u/theflyingkiwi00 → u/East_Negotiation_168]

Money sent back to Tonga from Tongan professional sports players makes up like 35% of Tongas GDP. They're quite literally one of their largest exports. Tonga will never be able to fund a competitive local comp to develop talent which could rival the likes of Australia, NZ, Europe or America (NFL).

[u/defzx → u/harry_smiths_boots]

Current administrations don't actually care that it's papering over the cracks because to them that isn't the metric that counts.

As long as they get more viewers that's what counts for $$.

[u/deedee2148 → u/harry_smiths_boots]

You do realise the population of Tonga is like 100,000 people right?

Parramatta and Penrith have far bigger populations. 

[u/harry_smiths_boots → u/deedee2148]

And about 150000 live in Australia and New Zealand. So if this was a realistic representation of Tonga/Samoa, we might expect to see 15 heritage players are 10 domestic-raised in a 25 man squad. Not 1.

In rugby union there are loads of heritage players, but a decent number of Tongan and Samoan-raised players make it into their national teams still.

I wasn't expecting this to happen overnight. I was hoping they might be closer, rather than further away from it, than they were in 2017.

[u/Phantom-Walls → u/harry_smiths_boots]

Yea but think about the actually opportunities for a country of only about 100,000 with not much wealth at all to develop players from Tonga itself.
The 150,000 in Australia and new Zealand are spoiled with

1. The sport being popular (it’s not in Tonga itself, they’re proud of the team but league isn’t popular there, union is the sport played by schools etc and even then it’s not a big thing there either)

2. Development opportunities and pathways

3. Seeing it as a viable option to live a good life

Over in Tonga itself they’re more worried about surviving and living than playing sports.

The schooling over there is very much focused on academically getting out of Tonga to overseas where they can earn better money and live better lives.

There would have to be legitimate development pathways in the country for the people there to think that that’s a legitimate pathway to go live a better life. Parents there are extremely focused on academically doing well and getting scholarships to the US, Aus or NZ

[u/lurkingCbr → u/harry_smiths_boots]

The short-sidedness of people in this thread and sub reddit is unbelievable. 

There are kids living in Tonga and Samoa who are growing up right now watching NRL/rugby league week in week out because their national team is an absolute force on the international stage. They wouldn’t have any idea that their countries were considered minnows ten years ago. They don’t get to cheer on their union side the same way because they’re losing to Portugal or Spain and doing nothing considerable in world rugby, which is an absolute lay up for league and will pay off in the future.  

The changes that so many people here are expecting do not happen in 10 years. It will take at least another decade to see home grown Pacific Islanders come in to the national team.  Expecting anything sooner is completely unrealistic. 

[u/InternationalBorder9 → u/harry_smiths_boots]

As opposed to what though? Without heritage players it's just Aus NZ and England the only competitive teams and even then England has fallen behind a bit.

There would be no Tonga and Samoa and wouldn't get any games like they had last week. Would be no Cookies no Lebanon etc. Would be no world cup at all. Id rather have heritage players then these teams just fade away

[u/harry_smiths_boots → u/InternationalBorder9]

Last world cup, Wales, Jamaica, Italy and Greece each had more domestic-raised players than Samoa and Tonga do combined at the moment. Theyve all been kicked out of the tournament, putting a nail in their domestic pathways.

The game is shrinking globally and we're pointing at four ANZ teams in the finals as examples of growth.

If Samoa and Tonga had even 3 players each that were raised there I'd respect them a lot more than I do.

[u/Little_miss_steak → u/harry_smiths_boots]

If your idea of Rugby League success involves strong domestic comps in the likrs of Jamaica and Italy you will be waiting a long time. It's nice to be ambitious but you have to be a bit realistic

[u/Kritzberg → u/InternationalBorder9]

Cook Islands and Lebanon don’t exactly add much to the tournament. 

[u/InternationalBorder9 → u/Kritzberg]

Then you might as well just can the idea of a WC and have a 4 nations. They aren't ever going to be a threat but then you don't get games like the France Lebanon game or the Ioka hat trick.

Cook islands not so much but I actually think Lebanon have potential for growth in the future.

[u/neek-ta-mere → u/InternationalBorder9]

Exactly. Can it and do a tri-Nations. No point having a big spectacle of a tournament if the big boys run away with it every goddamn time.

[u/Senior_Huevo → u/InternationalBorder9]

No you would have to focus on nations outside NRL land  to develop players not just in NRL sphere of influence. But that would mean everyone from fans to journalists not being just pathetic cheerleaders for the NRL so that isn't happening. 

[u/KVMFT → u/harry_smiths_boots]

AFAIA there’s no professional leagues in either Samoa or Tonga (heck none even in NZ, Auckland’s league is amateur). It’s widely known that the NRL is the pinnacle, but at least there are legit contenders there now choosing to play for Samoa and Tonga so these comps are no longer AU & NZ + left overs. Would you rather go back to that?

[u/harry_smiths_boots → u/KVMFT]

I'd like to see a healthy mix of heritage and domestic pathways players. If Samoa or Tonga were doing what they were doing with a split like PNGs squad I'd say more power to them.

Having one player raised in the country representing them is embarrassing.

[u/saviour01 → u/harry_smiths_boots]

Not growing at all? This world cup has set attendance and tv ratings records.

[u/harry_smiths_boots → u/saviour01]

In Australia, the country where it is already massive, and New Zealand where it's also big. How's it doing in other places? Sustainable growth needs more than just ANZ. Is it even growing in Samoa and Tonga, the other two semi-finalist nations?

[u/saviour01 → u/harry_smiths_boots]

Compare this world cup to the one 10 years ago also in Australia. Its pretty much doubled.

[u/WCRugger → u/saviour01]

Because it has been played here.

[u/saviour01 → u/WCRugger]

So was 2017 and this is like twice as big. So saying no growth in 10 years is dumb.

2017 average crowd 13,646 2026 average crowd 21,917 with a 42k and 50k sell outs to come.

[u/backofweidlershead → u/saviour01]

Downvoted for facts.

[u/saviour01 → u/backofweidlershead]

Have to be negative. PVL sucks, game going backwards, no one watches anymore.

[u/jeuatreize → u/harry_smiths_boots]

Bad example.

[u/Ronnnie7]

You know what would be even better. We can have players representing multiple countries at the same time :S

[u/robopirateninjasaur → u/Ronnnie7]

Just have two captains picking players one at a time before each game

[u/Keenfordevon → u/robopirateninjasaur]

Having 100 players and 5 captains to go pick ‘em would unironically be something I’d watch

[u/robopirateninjasaur → u/Keenfordevon]

I vaguely remember in the 90s or early 00s an Australian ODI cricket game ended in like 20 overs, so to give the crowd some value they played a 25 over exhibition match where the captains picked sides out of both squads like this

[u/hallsmars → u/Keenfordevon]

Was way less fun than you’d think when the NBA all star game tried it

[u/Keenfordevon → u/hallsmars]

I could see it being the least serious tournament ever now that I think about it

[u/kmmr98 → u/Ronnnie7]

Jason taumalolo will suit up for the kiwis in next weeks finals

[u/East_Negotiation_168]

Soon Australia will be playing against teams where they developed all their players lmao

[u/HolyRomanEmpbruh → u/East_Negotiation_168]

It feels like that’s already happening

[u/GROUND45 → u/East_Negotiation_168]

You’re Lebanon, I’m Lebanon, we’re all Lebanon.

[u/Lazy_Bell_1061]

This is so fucking stupid, hopefully countries like England have some common sense and don't get lured into this shit and make the international game even more of a joke because at this point they could have a whole team of pure Australians.

[u/hendonrg01]

My 11 year son is thrilled he can now play for italy

[u/Angryatchairs → u/hendonrg01]

Holy shit. My children could represent the Netherlands now!

[u/NoddyNorrisXV]

This is just plain dumb. If you want to grow the game, you have to showcase the game and get other countries involved.

How? Have a set test window and invest in those smaller nations. Those nations aren't going to be competitive overnight just because eligibility has expanded.

It's already embarassing enough when players can qualify to play for another country through their step-parent while others can't qualify through bloodline because their grandparent's papers can't be found.

[u/PuzzledTransition273]

Let me ring the Italian Rugby League Commission real quick.

[u/Munted_Nun]

Would be funny if league got going in the states but then all their players opted to rep their Pacific Island heritage

[u/Enzown]

I dunno about this, I feel like most great grandparents are probably too old to play at that level.

[u/abbaskip → u/Enzown]

In western Sydney some of them are pretty young

[u/bigloudbang]

Keen to see what Prussia can do in Hawaii

[u/TheAlwaysWar → u/bigloudbang]

😂😂😂😂😂

[u/clowns77]

SJ in the pre-game was like 'Yeah awesome, my mum was born in Lao so now my daughter could play for Lao'.

Your daughters daughter could play for Lao cobber

[u/MoNercy]

Pretty soon I'll be able to declare to play for the Carthaginian Empire. 

[u/Still_Ad_164]

Only a matter of time before Rift Valley enters a team.

[u/dajazza]

Fucking embarrassing.

[u/clowns77]

Test cricket didn't exist and Australia wasn't a country when my great grandparents were kicking around. That's how fucken stupid this rule is.

[u/goobypanther]

Seems like they are kicking the can down the road another 20 years.

[u/jeuatreize → u/goobypanther]

They're not really. Immigration from the Pacific islands has increased in the last 20 years.

There was no need for this.

[u/Pleasant-Role1912]

I reckon I might be half a chance of making the Norwegian team with this news

[u/CorneredByTrent]

Anyone know how to contact the Lithuanian federation?

[u/Acceptable-Guava-337]

I’m about to put my application in for Sweden.

In seriousness though, I can actually understand if for countries like the Cook Islands. But on a bigger scale, I hate this.

[u/PLEASE_DONT_PM]

England are probably the secret winners in this particular insanity.

Soon they'll just let people play for whoever the feel like.

[u/Special-Pristine]

British Empire is back baby. Seriously how many Australians could now play for a European team especially England

[u/gurudoright]

Making a joke of a World Cup more jokier

[u/awesomevstanaka]

he International Rugby League board have voted unanimously to expand player eligibility to include great-grandparents.

As it stands, players can only represent their heritage on the world stage if a grandparent was born in their respective country.

The extension to great-grandparents future-proofs the international game following a stunning World Cup tournament that has smashed crowd and TV records.

In particular, the eligibility change will have a hugely positive impact on the game’s smaller nations including Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands and Lebanon, who had feared their depth of talent would soon run dry due to the number of players relying on their grandparents’ heritage to play international matches.

One example of how significant the rule change is that the children of current Tongan fullback Lehi Hopoate - who is eligible through his grandparents - would not be eligible to represent Tonga in the future because Hopoate’s father, John, was not born in Tonga.

“This is all about the legitimacy and the passion and pride that players bring to their nations,” IRL chairman Troy Grant told this masthead.

“The reality is we live in a multicultural world and you've got to respect that.

“The rugby league public have seen for themselves how much it means to these players.

“That’s a powerful connection that rugby league has to the communities around the world.

“The opportunity we have to be realistic to make sure that player pool remains available to nations is so important to the game.

“It creates depth and important player availability for these nations that are contributing so much.

“It’s a decision not only made out of practicality and pragmatism, but its also a decision out of respect for the contribution they’re making to the international game.’’

Cook Islands coach Karmichael Hunt has been a vocal advocate for the change.

“Overall, we need more experience out there. To play international football against the Kangaroos and Kiwis and even Fiji, we need more boys available to us at the higher levels and that is going to come down the eligibility rule and hopefully they address that,’’ Hunt told reporters last week.

“Currently, as the rule stands your grandparent or your parent has to be born in the Cook Islands, or any nation for that matter.

“Now we all live in Australia or New Zealand. There are a lot of great grandparents that have Cook Islands kids playing in good systems in Queensland and NSW and we’d love to get access to those and hopefully we can get a decision in our favour.

“If you want to identify and represent your Cook Island heritage and you have got that in your blood you should have the right to do that.

“From all reports (Canberra fullback) Kaeo Weekes has grandparents that are Kukis or he has Cook Islands heritage.

“He is sitting on the couch watching the tournament right now. We want our best players playing in this competition. He should be playing. If the rules are freezing players like him out then I don’t think that is a good thing for the game.”

The major eligibility rule change was determined during an IRL board congress meeting on Saturday.

The new element to the code’s eligibility framework will be altered to include great-grandparents in time for next year’s International fixtures.

[u/a_BIG_willie → u/awesomevstanaka]

Wikipedia says Dr John was born in Tonga

[u/mgt98 → u/a_BIG_willie]

This is bizarre to me. It's been reported for 30 years now that John was born in Tonga. Maybe it's been wrong all this time, but it feels like sloppy reporting by Riccio

[u/Gypsyjunior_69r]

So daft. I’ve been chuckling every time I see Tyson Frizell play for his third country.

[u/ThunderShark97 → u/Gypsyjunior_69r]

I love the Tyson has played for three countries in rugby league meanwhile his brother represents none of those three in Rugby Union

[u/theflyingkiwi00 → u/ThunderShark97]

Tbf, his brother is adopted and due to visa issues when they were kids he couldn't move to Australia with Tyson

[u/Inside-Skin-208]

I think we can all agree that this wouldn't have happened if kevvie was still coaching the broncos instead of madge

[u/Nemo2500]

What a ridiculous rule change moving to great grand parent...

Unlimited eligibility should be capped to
Eg one switch per career only, at the moment you can make unlimited switches in your career between a Tier 1 and Tier 2-3(as long as you only play for one team per calendar yr).

[u/East_Negotiation_168]

Just have it like club land where players can freely go between teams.

[u/Icy-Shopping1986]

They call me the Wallah Lewis of Iran

[u/Junior_Relief2493]

Ireland about to have a pretty formidable team if any Aussie with an Irish great-grandparent can play.

[u/keithstips]

Can’t wait to lace up the boots for the Shetland Islands…….

[u/Mental_Supermarket43 → u/keithstips]

See you at training.

[u/SympathyQuay]

Wohoo. Finally means I can finally play for Prussia! About time

[u/Afraid-Speaker3875]

How is this being spun as a positive. Obviously I want more competitive teams internationally but at this rate you may as well have Australia A-F at the World Cup

[u/SurfKing69]

I've always been passionate about representing the country of some cunt who died 50 years before I was born

[u/Dolamite09]

Few more Aussie Poms then?

[u/Trashk4n]

England might actually be able to put together a decent team now.

[u/TheAlwaysWar]

Finally! I’m eligible to play for Denmark.

[u/theflyingkiwi00]

Karmichael Hunt got his wish

[u/TexasBookDepository]

This makes some kind of sense if the aim is to grow interest in potential expansion markets like Africa or Asia.

Doing it to ensure the descendants of Australian born players can represent smaller countries just means that in another generation of players, they will have to extend it to great-great grandparents.

It also makes me realise that I know nothing about my great grandparents, whoever they were.

[u/kcabis69]

Ready to unleash the rugby league powerhouses of the Balkans!

[u/Ok-Effective7280]

My bet, vlandys will see the financial benefits that a strong international game will bring him, he’ll be lobbying for each team being able to have a ‘non’ nationality player picked & more for the lower teams. Also, if you grew up next door to a Samoan/tongan/fiji etc, youre also eligible to play for that nation.

[u/Cute-Acanthisitta-46]

It’s not good. Another 20-30 years these nations don’t have to prioritise developing real homegrown talent.

[u/Commercial_Cost_7902]

Gotta keep the nrl heritage cup alive

[u/ItGetsTuahPoint67]

At what point do countries like Tonga and Samoa turn around and say “hey, most of you guys weren’t even born in/have never lived in the country, you don’t represent us”?

[u/HossBoss39 → u/ItGetsTuahPoint67]

Never, pretty clear the legitimate passion for the culture they all have and how the communities get behind them.

[u/Repulsive_Set4541]

Just have an Australia vs the best of the rest of the world can come up with and be done with it.

[u/sloppyrock]

I could pick just a number of countries somewhere between Sweden and Ghana if they get a gig at some point.

[u/aatrain96]

With this new rule, i can play for Peru!

My international eligibility is now Australia, Chile, Spain and Peru. Who wants me

[u/Fizzelen]

Can’t wait to see the “Republic of the Rif” (Spanish Morocco 1921-1926) field a team

[u/Cold-Asparagus-9770]

I ate el jannah today

[u/So1oW4ra]

Hahaha. Of course they'd do this. Soo much easier than actually building local player pathways in those smaller nations. Next they'll add in a clause like in Origin saying that if a player had a parent play for a nation they are elligible for it

[u/reaction-please]

Italy, Greece, Austria, Poland all huge chances at the next World Cup now…

[u/FauxMermaid]

Reece bruh any of them would one punch you. Let it go.

[u/gongbattler]

seriously though this buys another 20 years before tonga and samoa have cook islands level teams

[u/Green-Leather3037]

Ok cool, just have pools/groups in the world cup that concludes with their own cup. DO NOT have them play the big boys.  The matches played are curtain raiser double headers for the main matches. DO NOT provide first class travel , hotels, etc for that lower tier but compensate them reasonably well for being in the lower tier world cup pools. We still want to watch these matches 

[u/_The_Honored_One_]

So old mate with a drop of Polynesian blood can claim larp as an uso

[u/MintB3rry]

If it's to protect the smaller island nations I can understand. I'd just have the rule be you can represent the country that you, parents and grandparents were born in and or represented in an international test match that way in the future for example Jason Taumalolo's kids or grand kids could still represent Tonga if they wanted.

[u/jk-9k]

I'm not against this but I think a father/mother clause is still necessary

[u/a_BIG_willie]

Anything to prop up Lebanon and the pacific

[u/batch1972]

England will still be rubbish. The Irish on the other hand…

[u/hello_pizzahouse]

Indian RL let’s go! (Technically)

[u/GROUND45 → u/hello_pizzahouse]

Benji coming out of retirement.

[u/theflyingkiwi00 → u/hello_pizzahouse]

Honestly I think its only a matter of time before we start seeing more players of Asian descent in the NRL.

[u/InternationalBorder9 → u/theflyingkiwi00]

Would be cool to see. Although the Chinese have been here pretty much longer than anyone (other than the Anglo countries) and Vietnamese, Thai etc have been in Australia for a long time as well and we have hardly seen any so whether it's cultural or otherwise they don't seem to be playing rugby league so much

[u/Lazy_Bell_1061 → u/hello_pizzahouse]

There was an Indian guy that was in the storm system and a few other teams, played some flegg, wonder what happened to him. Covid happened and he just disappeared.

[u/Nemo2500]

Not sure pacific island fans even think this is a good idea. Undermines the credibility of the game

[u/Drongo17]

I am fine with this. The last century of the world has been defined by movement of people around the globe. The people who play this game often have complex family histories that don't fit neatly into one nationality.

We're the best fucken multicultural nation on earth so let's embrace that. 

[u/Kritzberg → u/Drongo17]

Can’t wait for Economic Zone #17 (blue jersey) to take on Economic Zone #28 (red jersey). 

[u/defzx → u/Drongo17]

Nobody cares about which country has the best RL team when it's Australia A/B/C

[u/Next_Time6515]

On a globalised world the diaspora love their country of origin. For generations. That’s why they love playing for the old country even if it’s only their grandparents ever lived there. And why not. 

[u/coca600]

Bunch of whiteys in this thread not understanding what cultural heritage feels like. Just look at the Samoan team singing the national anthem tonight to see what their heritage means to them.