Sexton confirmed as off to France

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Snipe Watson
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Re: Sexton confirmed as off to France

Post by Snipe Watson »

Russ wrote:
BR wrote:ERC has a limit of non EU players (anything else would be illegal under EU law)
So the IRFU policy is breaking EU law ...
Yes, but which IRFU branch is going to take a case against the IRFU?
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Neil F
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Re: Sexton confirmed as off to France

Post by Neil F »

Snipe Watson wrote:
Russ wrote:
BR wrote:ERC has a limit of non EU players (anything else would be illegal under EU law)
So the IRFU policy is breaking EU law ...
Yes, but which IRFU branch is going to take a case against the IRFU?
Begs the question about whether an individual, NIQ player, could make this step, though. Of course, this is all in theory - Irish provinces don't have a long history of signing NIQ players from within the EU - can only think of Danielli / Dewey at Ulster and Hines at Leinster in the last few seasons. That said, an NIQ who loses his contract at an Irish province only because of the IRFU's rules could, in principle, have a case, right?
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Jackie Brown
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Re: Sexton confirmed as off to France

Post by Jackie Brown »

Are South Africans not treated like EU nationals?
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Russ
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Re: Sexton confirmed as off to France

Post by Russ »

Jackie Brown wrote:Are South Africans not treated like EU nationals?
In some ways yes, in some ways no :stir:
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ColinM
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Re: Sexton confirmed as off to France

Post by ColinM »

Neil F wrote:Begs the question about whether an individual, NIQ player, could make this step, though. Of course, this is all in theory - Irish provinces don't have a long history of signing NIQ players from within the EU - can only think of Danielli / Dewey at Ulster and Hines at Leinster in the last few seasons. That said, an NIQ who loses his contract at an Irish province only because of the IRFU's rules could, in principle, have a case, right?

Would this not only be applicable if it happened mid contract?

Do employment laws stretch as far as to govern the reissue or not of a fixed term contract?
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Russ
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Re: Sexton confirmed as off to France

Post by Russ »

ColinM wrote:
Neil F wrote:Begs the question about whether an individual, NIQ player, could make this step, though. Of course, this is all in theory - Irish provinces don't have a long history of signing NIQ players from within the EU - can only think of Danielli / Dewey at Ulster and Hines at Leinster in the last few seasons. That said, an NIQ who loses his contract at an Irish province only because of the IRFU's rules could, in principle, have a case, right?

Would this not only be applicable if it happened mid contract?

Do employment laws stretch as far as to govern the reissue or not of a fixed term contract?
There is a law in the ROI that an employer needs to show that there is not a better local candidate when bringing in an international employee.

Imagine the employment agency examining tight head props

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Re: Sexton confirmed as off to France

Post by Dublin4 »

After throwing cold water on the topic yesterday, Thornley (who is obviously very close to Sexton's agent) has updated and confirmed the move today:

GERRY THORNLEY, Rugby Correspondent

Rugby: Additional guarantees regarding his release for international duty have reputedly enabled Jonathan Sexton to complete his proposed two-year deal with Racing Metro, which the player is believed to have signed today (Saturday).

Indications that the 27-year-old would be playing his club rugby with Racing Metro from next August have been strengthened after sources revealed the Leinster and Ireland outhalf signed a contract with Racing Metro this afternoon, committing himself to a lucrative two-year deal with the Parisian club.

The delay in signing the deal was due to Sexton and his agent Fintan Drury insisting on extra release days, over and above IRB regulations, for duty with Ireland - which they apparently achieved.

Sexton is due to be married after the Lions tour in July and the player himself expects to relocate to Paris later that month ahead of the start of the Top 14 season in mid-August.

The news follows the IRFU’s announcement on Friday that Sexton had informed them he would not be accepting their offer of a two-year deal believed to be in region of €500,000 per annum.

French clubs are not allowed to announce new signings before April 15th, although they are permitted to sign players before then.

In the French media, Racing are widely reported to have signed the Welsh pair of Jamie Roberts and Dan Lydiate, as well as Northampton props Soane Tonga’uiha and Brian Mujati and South African lock Juande Kruger, not to mention the Castres coaches Laurent Labit and Laurent Travers.

Yet, curiously, even in the light of the disclosure that Sexton had signed a deal today, sources very close to the Parisian club maintained the deal was not complete.

Nonetheless, the odds on Sexton donning the famed light blue and white hoops next season appear to have shortened, even if absolute confirmation might have to wait until April 15th.
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Russ
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Re: Sexton confirmed as off to France

Post by Russ »

Dublin4 wrote:After throwing cold water on the topic yesterday, Thornley (who is obviously very close to Sexton's agent) has updated and confirmed the move today:

GERRY THORNLEY, Chief PR at IRFU
Don't give a fiddlers if he is close to having a dump in a toilet, or whether he is close to Sexton's agent, the fact of the matter is Thornley has become a puppet, willing to spew company bs at any moment, and you suddeners lap it up like it's gospel
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Re: Sexton confirmed as off to France

Post by BR »

Russ wrote:
BR wrote:ERC has a limit of non EU players (anything else would be illegal under EU law)
So the IRFU policy is breaking EU law ...
No. If ERC were to impose a nationality limit for those competing in their competitions, it could not discriminate between EU nationalities (and that would include SA, etc). IRFU are a 'national' sport governing body and therefore they can discriminate on nationality/birth place/residency/ whatever they like when awarding playing contracts.
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Russ
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Re: Sexton confirmed as off to France

Post by Russ »

BR wrote:
Russ wrote:
BR wrote:ERC has a limit of non EU players (anything else would be illegal under EU law)
So the IRFU policy is breaking EU law ...
No. If ERC were to impose a nationality limit for those competing in their competitions, it could not discriminate between EU nationalities (and that would include SA, etc). IRFU are a 'national' sport governing body and therefore they can discriminate on nationality/birth place/residency/ whatever they like when awarding playing contracts.
Now that is just discriminatory

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Re: Sexton confirmed as off to France

Post by Lurgan Lad »

The biggest impact this has on Ulster Rugby is the weakening of our league. Fair enough Sexton doesn't play that many Rabo games, but combined with Fotoali (sp) signing for Northampton is a couple of really disappointing bits of news. We are in danger of becoming a really weak league, the Scots are useless, the Welsh have lost a load of their best players and are in financial dire straits, the Italians have improved a bit and with the Irish provinces Munster are rebuilding, Connaught are still a feeder club, and Leinster are losing a valuable player or two.
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Re: Sexton confirmed as off to France

Post by Dublin4 »

Thornley has become a puppet, willing to spew company bs at any moment, and you suddeners lap it up like it's gospel
Thornley had the original story a couple of weeks ago, then he had the "it's not over yet" story yesterday and now he has the confirmation with the hard won extra training rights with Ireland story.

He clearly is being fed from the player or his agent. I don't think he is spewing the "company line" if you mean the IRFU line.

As for "lapping it up", I don't know what you mean. This was a helluva big story with possibly massive implications not just for the balance of power between players and the union but also has ramifications for the viability of the Rabid if the drain of good players continues.
As I have said here, you can't blame the player for making the most of his talent in a short career span but we need confidence that our best players have a future in this league and that we don't follow the other Celts in imploding their domestic rugby.
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Re: Sexton confirmed as off to France

Post by ruckover »

According to Racing they still haven't signed Sexton yet, even though it is widely reported they have. Could simply be "we're not allowed to announce this yet" but they claim he's in talks with other clubs too.
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