curates_egg wrote: ↑October 29th, 2020, 7:11 am
Edit: It is a no-deal Brexit clause, so the English clubs can continue to play if they crash out.
That was taken care of ages ago, when the Russian teams entered the Challenge cup. A European player is one eligble to play for a member country of Rugby Europe or a player from a country with a reciprical labour agreement with the EU. The RFU is a member of Rugby Europe. This is to do with bubbling.
Well, yes...and no. If there's a hard Brexit the UK will no longer avail of the reciprocal labour agreements with, say, South Africa. While all of their English players will be eligible (they are from a 6 Nations/Rugby Europe country), their South African players would not. Hence the rule change is required in order to accommodate Brexit.
I knew it must be something like that. Not that many teams have many non EU-Kolpak players in their squads though, so it seems a bit gratuitous to have no limit. Some chancer millionaire could offer the All Black backline houses (or shares in 'property investment companies') to go and play for their pet project club.
I'm sure they'll get bored of being stuck playing only Australian sides at some point over the next two years.
Bubbling - the placing of people or groups of people into bubbles. For the auld Covid. The different competitions the teams play in have differing numbers of 'external' players allowed in squads and it wouldn't be practical or covid-safe to have players moving in and out of squads as the competitions progress and shift. So they've just said feck it as regards limits for this year
Dave Cahill wrote: ↑October 29th, 2020, 7:12 pm
Bubbling - the placing of people or groups of people into bubbles. For the auld Covid. The different competitions the teams play in have differing numbers of 'external' players allowed in squads and it wouldn't be practical or covid-safe to have players moving in and out of squads as the competitions progress and shift. So they've just said feck it as regards limits for this year
Dave Cahill wrote: ↑October 29th, 2020, 7:12 pm
Bubbling - the placing of people or groups of people into bubbles. For the auld Covid. The different competitions the teams play in have differing numbers of 'external' players allowed in squads and it wouldn't be practical or covid-safe to have players moving in and out of squads as the competitions progress and shift. So they've just said feck it as regards limits for this year
Ah. But the Johnny Fahrdeners are in the squad and bubble anyway, so I don't understand why you we need to change the rules.
I'm pretty sure it's a Brexit clause. I know a sports lawyer guy in the UK though, so will ask him.
wixfjord wrote: ↑November 13th, 2020, 3:53 pm
Thought Friday at 5.30 was an error but there seems to be games at that time every round.
Bit of a stupid time for a game on a weekday.
Not as big an issue with so many working from home and no one going to matches
Ah yeah I know, but I like to chill after finishing work @ 5:30 on Friday, move the 20 feet from my desk to the kitchen, have my dinner, glass of wine... not get straight into the stress of an important HC match! They obviously didn't take my routine into account, the selfish gits.
Our squad for this season's H-Cup is up now on EPCR site - all 47 senior players plus all 18 of the academy lads plus Marcus Hanan so a total squad of 66
Yeah, that result effectively eliminates Ulster barring an outrageous performance in Toulouse. Was weird seeing people at that game too, but that’s another matter.
