We shouldn’t pretend that it’s anything new, this rush of players popping up under various flags of convenience; every rugby fan knows the tale of the Russian prince who scored two tries as England beat the All Blacks almost 80 years ago. Nor should anyone imagine that a pick ’n’ mix approach to nationality is the preserve of only one sport. International football, excluding the gentlemen’s agreement which keeps the home nations in check, has moved towards exactly the same kind of residency rules causing so much unease among rugby traditionalists. In an era where coaches thrive entirely on the strength of the national team’s performances, though, ambitious unions are now sweeping the southern hemisphere on an industrial scale. ...read
More than a third of Scotland’s Rugby World Cup squad hails from overseas… meet the foreign legion
11/09/15 00:34
