This was published 7 years ago
England rugby set to consider five-year residency rule to slow Pacific Island talent drain
England's Rugby Football Union (RFU) is backing a proposal to increase the residency qualification period to five years from the current three to restrict the number of rugby union players who switch nationalities.
The World Rugby council will vote on the proposal for a global rule change in May, with the RFU set to consider imposing its own five-year rule if the proposal does not get the required votes.
On the burst: England's Fijian-born winger Semesa Rokoduguni.Credit: AP
"We feel that an increase from three to five years is absolutely the route to go down and that's what we'd support," RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie was quoted as saying by the Times.
"There are other countries who will take a different view on that. I think it should be five and that's what we'll be putting forward. If it stays at three then we'd have to think again and review it."
The current three-year residency period has led to a talent drain from the Pacific Island nations to tier-one countries, and the proposal to change rules to slow the trend was put forward by Agustin Pichot, World Rugby's deputy chairman.
Fiji-born number eight Nathan Hughes earned his first England cap in November, a few months after qualifying under the residency rule, joining the likes of Semesa Rokoduguni, Mouritz Botha, Riki Flutey, Shontayne Hape and Hendre Fourie.
Reuters