this is bloody ridiculous. He's played for NZ in Rugby League and now been picked for England. How the hell can that happen.
I know it happens all over in Rugby and cricket but surely this one a bit over the top.
Don't get me wrong he is a fantastic player.
Even talk of Almunia the spanish arsenal keeper being eligible for England this year as well.
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For a start he was born in Tonga to Tongan parents. He then went to play for the Kiwis (like all the Islanders do) and only came to England because he could earn more in SL than he could in the NRL.
Oh yes, I can really see that he is now a really proud Englishman.
However, as all pacific islanders seem to have somewhat questionable loyalties to their island of birth is it that much of a shocker?
If Giggs decided 10 years ago he wanted to be English would any of us have complained? I reckon if Andy Townsend et al can do it then so can guys like Vainikolo. I'm not sure the French moan about the amount of Africans in the French national side as the Irish suddenly welcomed uncle Jack into the fold and adopted him as one of theirs. Some of the best 'English' cricketers of recent memory are not born and bred Englishmen.
I see the point though and not entirely sure I agree with players doing it.
For a start he was born in Tonga to Tongan parents. He then went to play for the Kiwis (like all the Islanders do) and only came to England because he could earn more in SL than he could in the NRL.
Oh yes, I can really see that he is now a really proud Englishman.[/quote]
Says you who lives in Germany...
Australia, actually mate.
And, for the record, they could offer me $100 million to play for Australia at tiddlywinks and I still would not do it. How can you play international sport for anyone other than your country of birth or heritage? I could not do it for all the money in the world, I'd feel a complete fraud.
This bloke has already played for one adopted country and now he's going to do it for another, it makes a mockery of international sport.
It's not like he's a young lad whose come over as a kid or teenager played all his professional sport in this country like Mike Catt or Matt Stevens it's not like he's been overlooked in his home country or previous adopted country like Peiterson was in Cricket. He's played for another national side in a similar sport, he's a grown adult so it's not like Giggs who changed after being a schoolboy.
And if we really want to help small countries progress the game we shouldn't be pinching their players like NZ do.
I wouldn't pick him at all.
Because they already have about 37 blokes better than him and he has never played Union in New Zealand so would not even be considered.
I know that they feck it up at every WC but the depth of Rugby talent in NZ (albeit that a fair amount is imported from the Pacific Islands) is amazing for such a small population.