Tonga coach Toutai Kefu doubts whether loosening rugby’s eligibility laws will allow Pacific teams to replicate the success that Mate Ma’a Tonga has enjoyed in rugby league.
Kefu, who made 60 appearances for the Wallabies, said there were plenty of issues for World Rugby to sort out, but a loosening of the eligibility rules wasn’t one of them.
“We are a different game to rugby league, we’re a global game and I suppose from World Rugby’s point of view you’ve got to protect that and the integrity of that,” Kefu said.
“I understand that but there are some issues that they need to sort out and I hear that’s on the table for discussion at the end of the year post-World Cup which will be really interesting.”
“We’ve got a number of players who should be here who aren’t here through some reason or another.”
Those reasons are a reluctance from cashed-up clubs in Europe to release players to play for their countries, with 1 NEWS able to reveal that a Tongan prop was given a NZ$175,000 incentive by his French club to play in September.
Fiji, on the other hand, had all their players available with coach John McKee saying they haven’t had any problems with release of players for this World Cup.
“It doesn’t just come together overnight," he siad. "Since I’ve been in charge we’ve spent a lot of time - me personally travelling up to Europe and not just meeting with the players but meeting with clubs and building good relationships with the clubs. That’s been really beneficial to us.
“By going to meet with players face to face in Europe, they understand where they stand in the system, they see what our plans are.
“You know, for our boys, they love to get back to Fiji and put on the white jersey. It’s a very proud moment for them to represent Fiji.”
Manu Samoa coach Steve Jackson told 1 NEWS he had spoken to World Rugby yesterday and they were an organisation that “do their best”.
“They're really supportive with what we're trying to do and they understand the landscape we work in,” he said.
Despite the issues, Kefu said Tonga were financially reliant on World Rugby.
“Without their investment we don’t have a program, we’re 100 per cent dependent on them and we don’t have any other revenue sources,” Kefu said.
“From a coach’s point of view, you want your best players. If you’re playing against good opposition with one hand tied behind your back it’s an uneven playing field.
“All I’ve done is concentrate on players who are here and at the moment. I wouldn’t swap them for the world.”
SHARE ME