The UAFC

So the English and the French want to extend it to 5 years, the Scots want to keep it at 3. No official position from the IRFU yet. World Rugby meeting in May to discuss it, if it passes - Aki has to do another 2 yrs to become IQ'd in theory.

My own thoughts are that a move to 5 years is the way forward. Discuss....

From Ulster's point of view we would find it an awful lot harder to fill our squad up with IQ South Africans , stick to 3!

Agustin Pichot has been pushing this for a while. It'll be interesting to see how it goes.

A move to 5 yrs would have the effect of killing off the project. What club would enter into a 5 year contract keeping in mind the average project will be 23-25 when identified. Look at Girrid for example, now over 30 and only an Ireland player for 2 years if memory serves. A 5 year qualification & he'd never have had that red card on 5/4/2014.

With the excesses of empire still bringing folk from distant shores to England and France they will still "naturalise" folk like the Vunipolas as they will leave their grass huts in early years and go to schools, on the face of it being "English". Countries like Ireland and Scotland would suffer especially because in hard times, we are net exporters of people unlike our larger neighbours.

I'm very much in favour of retaining 3 years, even if projects are rarely exceptional, how would Ireland fair without Girrid & Stander, they may just make a difference. The smaller countries must resist this change, you can bet your ass that if England & France want it, it is because they know it will strengthen them against smaller nations.

Five years is a good idea.

Personally have no issues with projects turning out for Ulster or any of the provinces given they are a club but I would rather see Irish players born and bred play for Ireland, no matter how good the alternatives. However given the rules I can understand Joe's thinking - if they are available to select, why not pick them?

What bugs me more is the like Nathan Hughes coming out and saying publicly that he wanted to play for England because it gave him more money than playing for a PI team, if money is the determining factor in switching nations I'd tell them where to go

Move to 5 years and Ireland will have to get them younger. A bit like England and France do now

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Russ wrote:Move to 5 years and Ireland will have to get them younger. A bit like England and France do now

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But its an awful lot harder getting them 2-3 years earlier when at that stage these players would still have international aspirations in their own country....

EastTerraceUR wrote:

Russ wrote:Move to 5 years and Ireland will have to get them younger. A bit like England and France do now

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But its an awful lot harder getting them 2-3 years earlier when at that stage these players would still have international aspirations in their own country....

France's Academy in the PI
England's offer of paid for education

Ireland can't compete on 5 years

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I view the Ireland team as being a team representing Ireland. Not specifically a team of Irishmen. If a guy commits to Ireland and lives here for three years, I thinks it's reasonable to permit a guy to represent his chosen country of residence. More so than a Michael Bent with an Irish granny who is handed a green shirt in the taxi from the airport.

Russ wrote:

EastTerraceUR wrote:

Russ wrote:Move to 5 years and Ireland will have to get them younger. A bit like England and France do now

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

But its an awful lot harder getting them 2-3 years earlier when at that stage these players would still have international aspirations in their own country....

France's Academy in the PI
England's offer of paid for education

Ireland can't compete on 5 years

Correct Russ.
The project scheme has been our way of competing with the others.

Snipe Watson wrote:

Russ wrote:

EastTerraceUR wrote:

Russ wrote:Move to 5 years and Ireland will have to get them younger. A bit like England and France do now

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

But its an awful lot harder getting them 2-3 years earlier when at that stage these players would still have international aspirations in their own country....

France's Academy in the PI
England's offer of paid for education

Ireland can't compete on 5 years

Correct Russ.
The project scheme has been our way of competing with the others.

Yip and now england and france have their systems in place they're willing to support SANZAR

Make no mistake about this, only England and France win here

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Russ wrote:

Snipe Watson wrote:

Russ wrote:

EastTerraceUR wrote:

Russ wrote:Move to 5 years and Ireland will have to get them younger. A bit like England and France do now

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

But its an awful lot harder getting them 2-3 years earlier when at that stage these players would still have international aspirations in their own country....

France's Academy in the PI
England's offer of paid for education

Ireland can't compete on 5 years

Correct Russ.
The project scheme has been our way of competing with the others.

Yip and now england and france have their systems in place they're willing to support SANZAR

Make no mistake about this, only England and France win here

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Perfidious Albion and the surrender monkeys. Not to be trusted.

Snipe Watson wrote:

Russ wrote:

Snipe Watson wrote:

Russ wrote:

EastTerraceUR wrote: But its an awful lot harder getting them 2-3 years earlier when at that stage these players would still have international aspirations in their own country....

France's Academy in the PI
England's offer of paid for education

Ireland can't compete on 5 years

Correct Russ.
The project scheme has been our way of competing with the others.

Yip and now england and france have their systems in place they're willing to support SANZAR

Make no mistake about this, only England and France win here

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Perfidious Albion and the surrender monkeys. Not to be trusted.

You would trust Gerry Kelly with your land-rover before those pair

Snipe Watson wrote:

Russ wrote:

Snipe Watson wrote:

Russ wrote:

EastTerraceUR wrote:quote="Russ"Move to 5 years and Ireland will have to get them younger. A bit like England and France do now

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

But its an awful lot harder getting them 2-3 years earlier when at that stage these players would still have international aspirations in their own country....
France's Academy in the PI
England's offer of paid for education

Ireland can't compete on 5 years

Correct Russ.
The project scheme has been our way of competing with the others.

Yip and now england and france have their systems in place they're willing to support SANZAR

Make no mistake about this, only England and France win here

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Perfidious Albion and the surrender monkeys. Not to be trusted.

I think you two may find all this was laid out in simple terms at 4.29 this afternoon.

Ruckie, your post was irritatingly parsimonious. Why would any sentient being in the NH outside of France & England support a move to 5 years?