Players can now transfer between Unions

[Fan with smartphone]

Am I right in saying Tonga are likely to be in our rwc pool?

[neill_m]

Am I right in saying Tonga are likely to be in our rwc pool?

Yup, have a play-off v Asian champions which they should win. Asian qualifying in January. Malaysia, Hong Kong and South Korea in it.

[Xanthippe]

Murray Kinsella accurately pointed out that if Spain qualified for RWC 2023, Jordi Murphy could in theory play for them. His stand down period assuming no more Irish caps would end November 2022.

Also, John Cooney for Scotland and Luke McGrath for Canada

[Xanthippe]

The Vinipola's, arnt they Welsh?

Born in Australia to Tongan parents, residency not counting for this new set up.

Billy was - Mako was born in New Zealand

[blockhead]

The Vinipola's, arnt they Welsh?

Born in Australia to Tongan parents, residency not counting for this new set up.

Well then! Put a few more shrimps on the barby mate!

Australia has been announced as the "preferred candidate" for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, virtually guaranteeing the tournament will return Down Under for the first time in 24 years.

The World Rugby Council made the announcement on Wednesday night as part of an approved revision process that the governing body hopes will help unlock the sport's potential and grow the game's popularity.

[neill_m]

Murray Kinsella accurately pointed out that if Spain qualified for RWC 2023, Jordi Murphy could in theory play for them. His stand down period assuming no more Irish caps would end November 2022.

Also, John Cooney for Scotland and Luke McGrath for Canada

Didn't know Cooney's dad was from Scotland. He could play for them in 6N of 2023 in theory (last cap 6N 2020). McGrath last played for Ireland in RWC 2019, so could play for Canada by autumn 2022.

[cormac]

Could Zebo finally get to play for France?

[dropkick]

I copied this list.

From France
- Steevy Cerqueira : Portugal (now eligible)
- Khatchik Vartanov : Russia (now eligible)
- Johan Aliouat : Algeria (now eligible)
- Kylan Hamdaoui : Algeria (now eligible)
- Atila Septar : Romania (now eligible)
- Gabriel Ngandebe : Camerun (03/02/22)
- Faraj Fartass : Tunisia (now eligible)
- Pablo Uberti : Italy (now eligible)
- Hans Nkinsi : RDC (now eligible)
- Yoann Laousse Azpiazu : Spain ??? (Azpiazu is his grandfather which was bask ... from France or Spain ?) (now eligible)
- Malik Hamadache : Algeria (now eligible; he played for Algeria before Algeria was recognized by WR)
- Patrick Sobela : Camerun (now eligible)
- Morgan Parra : Portugal (10/02/2022)
- François Trinh-Duc : Vietnam (now eligible)
- Guilhem Guirado : Spain (20/10/22)
- Wesley Fofana : Mali (30/08/22)
- Thomas Laranjeira : Portugal (now eligible)
- Yvan Reilhac : Ivory Coast (now eligible)
- Camille Lopez : Spain ??? (20/10/22)
- Eddy Ben Arous : Nigeria (now eligible)
- Rabah Slimani : Algeria (20/10/22)
- Sofiane Guitoune : Algeria (06/10/22)
- Noa Nakaitaci : Fiji (now eligible)
- Paul Jedrasiak : Poland & Italy (now eligible)
- Yacouba Camara: Mali (06/10/22)
- Mohamed Boughanmi : Tunisia (now eligible)
- Cedate Gomes Sa : Guinea-Bissau (now eligible)
- Dany Priso : Cameroun (17/08/22)
- Mathieu Babillot : Central African Republic (now eligible)
- Alivereti Raka : Fiji (06/12/2023)


From England
- Steffon Armitage : Trinidad & Tobago (now eligible)
- Matt Kvesic : Germany (maybe Poland & Croatia ?) (06/09/22)
- Marland Yarde : Saint-Lucia (now eligible)
- Luther Burrell : Jamaica (now eligible)
- Semesa Rokoduguni : Fiji (now eligible)
- George Kruis : Netherlands (07/03/2023)
- Teimana Harrison : New Zealand (now eligible)
- Nathan Hughes : Fiji (16/03/2022)
- Alex Lozowski : Poland & Italy (now eligible)
- Denny Solomona : New Zealand & Samoa ? (now eligible)
- Donovan Armand : Zimbabwe (now eligible)
- Nick Isiekwe : Nigeria (now eligible)
- Alec Hepburn : Australia (now eligible)
- Brad Shields : New Zealand (16/03/22)
- Zach Mercer : New Zealand & Scotland ??? (now eligible)
- Willi Heinz : New Zealand (07/03/23)


Scotland
- Henry Pyrgos : England (now eligible)
- Sean Maitland : New Zealand & Samoa ? (05/12/23)
- Duncan Taylor : England (05/12/23)
- Tim Swinson : England (now eligible)
- Sam Hidalgo-Clyne : Spain (05/12/23)
- Ben Toolis : Australia (23/10/20)
- Josh Strauss : South Africa (31/08/22)
- Allan Dell : South Africa (08/03/23)
- Cornell du Preez : South Africa (23/10/23)
- Nick Grigg : New Zealand (16/03/22)
- Luke Hamilton : Wales (now eligible)
- Byron McGuigan : Namibia (22/02/23)


New Zealand
- Victor Vito : Samoa (now eligible)
- Julian Savea : Samoa (now eligible)
- Luke Romano : Italy (now eligible)
- Charlie Faumuina : Samoa (now eligible)
- Tawera Kerr-Barlow : Australia (now eligible)
- Steven Luatua : Samoa (now eligible)
- Charles Piutau : Tonga (now eligible)
- Francis Saili : Samoa (now eligible)
- Frank Halai : Tonga (now eligible)
- Jeffery To'Omaga-Allen : Samoa (now eligible)
- Malakai Fekitoa : Tonga --> already made his change through Sevens
- Augustine Pulu : Tonga (now eligible)
- George Moala : Tonga (now eligible)
- Waisake Naholo : Fiji (now eligible)
- Lima Sopoaga : Samoa & Cook (now eligible)
- Nehe Milner-Skudder : Tonga ? (now eligible)
- Seta Tamanivalu : Fiji (now eligible)
- Elliot Dixon : Scotland & Ireland (now eligible)
- Vaea Fifita : Tonga (27/07/22)
- Ngani Laumape : Tonga (07/11/23)
- Atunaisa Moli : Tonga (01/11/22)
- Gareth Evans : Zimbabwe (now eligible)
- Josh Ioane : Samoa (07/09/22)
- Alex Hodgman : Fiji (18/10/23)

Australia
- Sekope Kepu : Tonga (07/09/22)
- Pekahou Cowan : New Zealand & Samoa (now eligible)
- Will Genia : Papuasia (19/10/22)
- Sitakeli Timani : Tonga (now eligible)
- Michael Harris : New Zealand (now eligible)
- Joe Tomane : New Zealand, Samoa & Cook (now eligible)
- Kane Douglas : Scotland (now eligible)
- Israel Folau : Tonga (now eligible)
- Christian Leali'Ifano : Samoa & New Zealand (19/10/22)
- Tevita Kuridrani : Fiji (05/10/22)
- Chris Feauai-Sautia : New Zealand & Samoa (now eligible)
- Bernard Foley : Ireland (07/09/22)
- Peter Betham : New Zealand & Samoa (now eligible)
- Henry Speight : Fiji (now eligible)
- Taqele Naiyaravoro : Fiji (now eligible)
- Adam Coleman : Tonga (19/10/22)
- Sefanaia Naivalu : Fiji (now eligible)
- Kyle Godwin : Zimbabwe (now eligible)
- Ned Hanigan : Ireland (05/12/23)
- Karmichael Hunt : New Zealand, Samoa, Cook (now eligible)
- Richard Harwick : Namibia (now eligible)
- Jack Dempsey : Scotland (07/09/22)
- Curtis Rona : New Zealand (now eligible)
- Jermaine Ainsley : New Zealand (now eligible)
- Liam Wright : South Africa & Zimbabwe (21/11/23)
- Irae Simone : New Zealand & Samoa (05/12/23)


South Africa
- Raymond Rhule : Ghana (now eligible)
- Ross Cronjé : Zimbabwe (now eligible)

Ireland
- Simon Zebo : France (now eligible)
- Jordi Murphy : Spain (03/10/22)
- Kieran Marmion : England (29/11/23)
- Rodney Ah You : New Zealand & Samoa ? (now eligible)
- Sean Reidy : New Zealand (now eligible)
- Niyi Adeolokun : Nigeria (now eligible)
- Luke McGrath : Canada (19/10/22)
- Kieran Treadwell : England (now eligible)
- Sammy Arnold : England (now eligible)
- Jean Kleyn : South Africa (12/10/22)
- Mike Haley : England (10/08/22)

Wales
- Aaron Shingler : Scotland & England (07/03/23)
- Aaron Jarvis : England (now eligible)
- Hadleigh Parkes : New Zealand (07/03/23)

[ronk]

Bernard Foley : Ireland (07/09/22)

Interesting. We have cover and it doesn't look likely. But there's a break glass aspect.

[Fan with smartphone]

I copied this list.

From France
- Steevy Cerqueira : Portugal (now eligible)
- Khatchik Vartanov : Russia (now eligible)
- Johan Aliouat : Algeria (now eligible)
- Kylan Hamdaoui : Algeria (now eligible)
- Atila Septar : Romania (now eligible)
- Gabriel Ngandebe : Camerun (03/02/22)
- Faraj Fartass : Tunisia (now eligible)
- Pablo Uberti : Italy (now eligible)
- Hans Nkinsi : RDC (now eligible)
- Yoann Laousse Azpiazu : Spain ??? (Azpiazu is his grandfather which was bask ... from France or Spain ?) (now eligible)
- Malik Hamadache : Algeria (now eligible; he played for Algeria before Algeria was recognized by WR)
- Patrick Sobela : Camerun (now eligible)
- Morgan Parra : Portugal (10/02/2022)
- François Trinh-Duc : Vietnam (now eligible)
- Guilhem Guirado : Spain (20/10/22)
- Wesley Fofana : Mali (30/08/22)
- Thomas Laranjeira : Portugal (now eligible)
- Yvan Reilhac : Ivory Coast (now eligible)
- Camille Lopez : Spain ??? (20/10/22)
- Eddy Ben Arous : Nigeria (now eligible)
- Rabah Slimani : Algeria (20/10/22)
- Sofiane Guitoune : Algeria (06/10/22)
- Noa Nakaitaci : Fiji (now eligible)
- Paul Jedrasiak : Poland & Italy (now eligible)
- Yacouba Camara: Mali (06/10/22)
- Mohamed Boughanmi : Tunisia (now eligible)
- Cedate Gomes Sa : Guinea-Bissau (now eligible)
- Dany Priso : Cameroun (17/08/22)
- Mathieu Babillot : Central African Republic (now eligible)
- Alivereti Raka : Fiji (06/12/2023)


From England
- Steffon Armitage : Trinidad & Tobago (now eligible)
- Matt Kvesic : Germany (maybe Poland & Croatia ?) (06/09/22)
- Marland Yarde : Saint-Lucia (now eligible)
- Luther Burrell : Jamaica (now eligible)
- Semesa Rokoduguni : Fiji (now eligible)
- George Kruis : Netherlands (07/03/2023)
- Teimana Harrison : New Zealand (now eligible)
- Nathan Hughes : Fiji (16/03/2022)
- Alex Lozowski : Poland & Italy (now eligible)
- Denny Solomona : New Zealand & Samoa ? (now eligible)
- Donovan Armand : Zimbabwe (now eligible)
- Nick Isiekwe : Nigeria (now eligible)
- Alec Hepburn : Australia (now eligible)
- Brad Shields : New Zealand (16/03/22)
- Zach Mercer : New Zealand & Scotland ??? (now eligible)
- Willi Heinz : New Zealand (07/03/23)


Scotland
- Henry Pyrgos : England (now eligible)
- Sean Maitland : New Zealand & Samoa ? (05/12/23)
- Duncan Taylor : England (05/12/23)
- Tim Swinson : England (now eligible)
- Sam Hidalgo-Clyne : Spain (05/12/23)
- Ben Toolis : Australia (23/10/20)
- Josh Strauss : South Africa (31/08/22)
- Allan Dell : South Africa (08/03/23)
- Cornell du Preez : South Africa (23/10/23)
- Nick Grigg : New Zealand (16/03/22)
- Luke Hamilton : Wales (now eligible)
- Byron McGuigan : Namibia (22/02/23)


New Zealand
- Victor Vito : Samoa (now eligible)
- Julian Savea : Samoa (now eligible)
- Luke Romano : Italy (now eligible)
- Charlie Faumuina : Samoa (now eligible)
- Tawera Kerr-Barlow : Australia (now eligible)
- Steven Luatua : Samoa (now eligible)
- Charles Piutau : Tonga (now eligible)
- Francis Saili : Samoa (now eligible)
- Frank Halai : Tonga (now eligible)
- Jeffery To'Omaga-Allen : Samoa (now eligible)
- Malakai Fekitoa : Tonga --> already made his change through Sevens
- Augustine Pulu : Tonga (now eligible)
- George Moala : Tonga (now eligible)
- Waisake Naholo : Fiji (now eligible)
- Lima Sopoaga : Samoa & Cook (now eligible)
- Nehe Milner-Skudder : Tonga ? (now eligible)
- Seta Tamanivalu : Fiji (now eligible)
- Elliot Dixon : Scotland & Ireland (now eligible)
- Vaea Fifita : Tonga (27/07/22)
- Ngani Laumape : Tonga (07/11/23)
- Atunaisa Moli : Tonga (01/11/22)
- Gareth Evans : Zimbabwe (now eligible)
- Josh Ioane : Samoa (07/09/22)
- Alex Hodgman : Fiji (18/10/23)

Australia
- Sekope Kepu : Tonga (07/09/22)
- Pekahou Cowan : New Zealand & Samoa (now eligible)
- Will Genia : Papuasia (19/10/22)
- Sitakeli Timani : Tonga (now eligible)
- Michael Harris : New Zealand (now eligible)
- Joe Tomane : New Zealand, Samoa & Cook (now eligible)
- Kane Douglas : Scotland (now eligible)
- Israel Folau : Tonga (now eligible)
- Christian Leali'Ifano : Samoa & New Zealand (19/10/22)
- Tevita Kuridrani : Fiji (05/10/22)
- Chris Feauai-Sautia : New Zealand & Samoa (now eligible)
- Bernard Foley : Ireland (07/09/22)
- Peter Betham : New Zealand & Samoa (now eligible)
- Henry Speight : Fiji (now eligible)
- Taqele Naiyaravoro : Fiji (now eligible)
- Adam Coleman : Tonga (19/10/22)
- Sefanaia Naivalu : Fiji (now eligible)
- Kyle Godwin : Zimbabwe (now eligible)
- Ned Hanigan : Ireland (05/12/23)
- Karmichael Hunt : New Zealand, Samoa, Cook (now eligible)
- Richard Harwick : Namibia (now eligible)
- Jack Dempsey : Scotland (07/09/22)
- Curtis Rona : New Zealand (now eligible)
- Jermaine Ainsley : New Zealand (now eligible)
- Liam Wright : South Africa & Zimbabwe (21/11/23)
- Irae Simone : New Zealand & Samoa (05/12/23)


South Africa
- Raymond Rhule : Ghana (now eligible)
- Ross Cronjé : Zimbabwe (now eligible)

Ireland
- Simon Zebo : France (now eligible)
- Jordi Murphy : Spain (03/10/22)
- Kieran Marmion : England (29/11/23)
- Rodney Ah You : New Zealand & Samoa ? (now eligible)
- Sean Reidy : New Zealand (now eligible)
- Niyi Adeolokun : Nigeria (now eligible)
- Luke McGrath : Canada (19/10/22)
- Kieran Treadwell : England (now eligible)
- Sammy Arnold : England (now eligible)
- Jean Kleyn : South Africa (12/10/22)
- Mike Haley : England (10/08/22)

Wales
- Aaron Shingler : Scotland & England (07/03/23)
- Aaron Jarvis : England (now eligible)
- Hadleigh Parkes : New Zealand (07/03/23)

Thanks for this.

So by the time of the World Cup, Tonga could put out a team like:

Atu Moli, Hooker, Ben Tameifuna.
Adam Coleman, Sitalekli Timani.
Steve Mafi, Vaea Fifita, openside.

Augustine Pulu, need a 10.
Charles Piatau, George Moala, Malakai Fekitoa, Nehe Milner-Skudder
Israel Folau.

Don’t think England would be putting 70 on them.

I’m not even gonna start on Fiji, or Samoa for that matter. This is class.

[RoboProp]

ROG to come out of retirement to play for the Eagles and Jamie is to line out for Israel.

[brotheroffrank]

Murray Kinsella accurately pointed out that if Spain qualified for RWC 2023, Jordi Murphy could in theory play for them. His stand down period assuming no more Irish caps would end November 2022.

Also, John Cooney for Scotland and Luke McGrath for Canada

One of these 2021 predictions looks likely to happen !

[Degz]

I can see Lukey going to play in MLR at the end of his career and taking up that Canadian chance.

[naraic]

I can see Lukey going to play in MLR at the end of his career and taking up that Canadian chance.

He would be silly to go to MLR. Salary cap for a franchise is about 500K. Average salary for a pro MLR player is probably 12K.

He will want to retire in the EU for eligibility for tax refund benefits.

If he earned 100K in his 10 best years earnings (I'm sure he earned more) he would get 160K on retirement if he plays his last year in the EU.

[Degz]

I can see Lukey going to play in MLR at the end of his career and taking up that Canadian chance.

He would be silly to go to MLR. Salary cap for a franchise is about 500K. Average salary for a pro MLR player is probably 12K.

He will want to retire in the EU for eligibility for tax refund benefits.

If he earned 100K in his 10 best years earnings (I'm sure he earned more) he would get 160K on retirement if he plays his last year in the EU.

Marquee are on a good bit more but I'm surprised at how sh!t the wages are, in fairness, even at top spec you're probably right. He still might play for them internationally, from here.