Ireland's project players

What's the news on the project?

Strauss becomes eligible next year, Robbie Diack is eligible now but is way down the pecking order and Jared Payne is eligible in two years.

There's a good article on Welsh project players, maybe this should be merged with it and we discuss all Home Unions project players including Scotland and Wales.

" Whats the news on the project"

Sounds like a line from "The Wire"

Portnoy wrote:What's the news on the project?

we are years behind england

I am beginning to think we should lock our gates at our schools, craven week and rugby festivals.

These projects now have names.

"Project, screw SA out of future stars"

Strauss will likely represent Ireland next season. Diack isn't good enough and Payne will no doubt return to NZ.

Thats about it really for the player projects. I think the IRFU are getting rid of the term from 2014? Players will either be NIE or IE.

It's certainly a shame biltong, even shameful.

Irelands 'project player' scheme has been unpopular amongst supporters and the media- even if some of the players are very popular- but it is still maintained. I suspect the IRFU would point to similar initiatives from the WRU, SRU and RFU and say it's a necessary evil. I don't really agree.

Either way, the IRB needs to get wise to the situation now.

I don't think its shameful, rather its been misunderstood and badly named.

The purpose was never to poach players for Ireland but to allow some flexibility for the provinces to sign an additional NIQ player, who potentially could become available to Ireland down the line.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with it and Irelands probably had the fewest players qualify on residency out of any top tier nation.

The whole think is being droped for 2013-14 and as Rodders says it was designed to, primarily, help the Provinces not the national team.

No Project player has ever pulled on the green shirt.

Also, as mentioned before, Ireland can hold there head high as no one could come up with a Residency qualified player since Andy Ward (a genuine residency qualication by the way) and that is what - a decade ago ?

Does any othe team come even remotely close

Genuinely not a wum, but what's the deal with Isaac Boss? I only quite recently found out he was a Kiwi. Would he count as a residency or is it through parents / grandparents / dual passport type?

His Grandparents are from Antrim.

Notch wrote:It's certainly a shame biltong, even shameful.

Irelands 'project player' scheme has been unpopular amongst supporters and the media- even if some of the players are very popular- but it is still maintained. I suspect the IRFU would point to similar initiatives from the WRU, SRU and RFU and say it's a necessary evil. I don't really agree.

Either way, the IRB needs to get wise to the situation now.

I've heard of these RFU incentives before but no-one, so far, has actually said what they are. I've never heard of them personally.

The purpose was never to poach players for Ireland but to allow some flexibility for the provinces to sign an additional NIQ player, who potentially could become available to Ireland down the line.

Isn't that saying the same thing in different words? Here's that sentence editted but retains the same meaning (from what I can tell)

The purpose was never to bring in players to qualify for residency but to allow some flexibility for provinces to sign an additional NIQ players, who potentially could be poached by Ireland down the line

No you are twisting my words... the players who have been signed as 'projects' are not done so because they have been identified as valuable to Ireland but for the particular province. There is no commitment to play for Ireland after the 3 years and in most cases the players haven't been good enough to anyway.

geoff998rugby wrote:The whole think is being droped for 2013-14 and as Rodders says it was designed to, primarily, help the Provinces not the national team.

No Project player has ever pulled on the green shirt.

Also, as mentioned before, Ireland can hold there head high as no one could come up with a Residency qualified player since Andy Ward (a genuine residency qualication by the way) and that is what - a decade ago ?

Does any othe team come even remotely close

How could a Project Player be designed to help the provinces not Ireland.

Thats rubbish. Of course its designed to help Ireland sign foreigners while placing criteria on the players the provinces can sign.

Thunor, if capping players qualified on residency isn't an initiative to use residency qualified players what is?

Bathite wrote:Genuinely not a wum, but what's the deal with Isaac Boss? I only quite recently found out he was a Kiwi. Would he count as a residency or is it through parents / grandparents / dual passport type?

Grandparents, was brought over to play for Ulster because he openly wanted to play for Ireland. I've seen him interviewed and saying he always wanted to play for Ireland from a young age (lovely bloke by the way) but he was nowhere near All Black contention anyway.

Stag the clubs disagreed with the restriction to 5 players and the IRFU to save face agreed to the +1.

Pointless yes - but the IRFU didn't want to be seen to back down.

If it was rubbish why have Ulster's 2 project players been a 6/8 and a 15. That is because they are position Ulster were short not position Ireland were short.

If it had been for the beenfit of Ireland it would have be a 1 or a 3 or a 7 or a 9 or a 10.

So no its not rubbish.

Notch wrote:Thunor, if capping players qualified on residency isn't an initiative to use residency qualified players what is?

We're not talking about using residency qualified players. We're talking about bringing in possible residency qualified players to a domestic team. I've no problem with players gaining qualification via residency. I value it a lot more than having a single grandparent (i.e. Waldrum). However the clubs have no incentive whatsoever in bringing in players who may qualify for England one day. If anything, with the current system it's a detriment (most premiership bosses would prefer to bring in a capped Kiwi or Saffa as they will never be lost to internationals).

I think there is more of a shift to Irish qualified players through parents/grandparents like Boss from abroad (which I think will suit us a lot more) and you are more likely to get a better standard. We've quite a few of them now and they seem to be working out: Court, Tuohy, Boss for starters (quite a few in Connacht) and Ruddock in Leinster. Munster are getting a young openside next season from Rotherham who has just won Player of the Year and Player's Player of the Year. On his biography on their site he says his ambition is to play for Ireland.

Much prefer to have players like him than some other player who isn't good enough for his home country.

Notch wrote:Thunor, if capping players qualified on residency isn't an initiative to use residency qualified players what is?

Bathite wrote:Genuinely not a wum, but what's the deal with Isaac Boss? I only quite recently found out he was a Kiwi. Would he count as a residency or is it through parents / grandparents / dual passport type?

Grandparents, was brought over to play for Ulster because he openly wanted to play for Ireland. I've seen him interviewed and saying he always wanted to play for Ireland from a young age (lovely bloke by the way) but he was nowhere near All Black contention anyway.

Thanks for that. I'd never heard him speak before, so had no reason to doubt that he wasn't born in Ireland, hence why I was surprised when my mate from Belfast mentioned it the other month.

As others have said comes across as very personable

HammerofThunor wrote:

Notch wrote:Thunor, if capping players qualified on residency isn't an initiative to use residency qualified players what is?

We're not talking about using residency qualified players. We're talking about bringing in possible residency qualified players to a domestic team. I've no problem with players gaining qualification via residency. I value it a lot more than having a single grandparent (i.e. Waldrum). However the clubs have no incentive whatsoever in bringing in players who may qualify for England one day. If anything, with the current system it's a detriment (most premiership bosses would prefer to bring in a capped Kiwi or Saffa as they will never be lost to internationals).

I am talking about residency qualified players and thats tangential to my point. The IRFU will look across and see the RFU picking residency qualified players to play for England. They are therefore going to do the same if necessary for fear of being at a disadvantage. Thats the reason for the project thing. I don't think Scotland or Wales do it the same way and I don't think Ireland make a policy of actively encouraging it either. It's more if a player the provinces want to sign is uncapped they can apply for special dispensation to have an extra NIQ place- so long as he will be qualified to play for Ireland. I know this is a message board, but there is such a thing as arguing for the sake of arguing!

Sin é wrote:I think there is more of a shift to Irish qualified players through parents/grandparents like Boss from abroad (which I think will suit us a lot more) and you are more likely to get a better standard. We've quite a few of them now and they seem to be working out: Court, Tuohy, Boss for starters (quite a few in Connacht) and Ruddock in Leinster. Munster are getting a young openside next season from Rotherham who has just won Player of the Year and Player's Player of the Year. On his biography on their site he says his ambition is to play for Ireland.

Much prefer to have players like him than some other player who isn't good enough for his home country.

Sean Dougall is Irish born though unless im mistaken. He came through Ulster I think

Golden wrote:

Sin é wrote:I think there is more of a shift to Irish qualified players through parents/grandparents like Boss from abroad (which I think will suit us a lot more) and you are more likely to get a better standard. We've quite a few of them now and they seem to be working out: Court, Tuohy, Boss for starters (quite a few in Connacht) and Ruddock in Leinster. Munster are getting a young openside next season from Rotherham who has just won Player of the Year and Player's Player of the Year. On his biography on their site he says his ambition is to play for Ireland.

Much prefer to have players like him than some other player who isn't good enough for his home country.

Sean Dougall is Irish born though unless im mistaken. He came through Ulster I think

Yep, you are correct on that. Personally I hope Strauss never plays for Ireland, he grew up dreaming of playing for South Africa and only moved to Leinster after being told he would never be considered for the Boks due to his size.

Portnoy wrote:What's the news on the project?

Hows the treatment for your addiction/obsession with Irish rugby going Portnoy?

Artful_Dodger wrote:

Portnoy wrote:What's the news on the project?

Hows the treatment for your addiction/obsession with Irish rugby going Portnoy?

Better (I think) than Stuart Barnes', Dodger.

I'd describe my 'problem' as a deep interest in H-Ns rugby.

Golden wrote:

Sin é wrote:I think there is more of a shift to Irish qualified players through parents/grandparents like Boss from abroad (which I think will suit us a lot more) and you are more likely to get a better standard. We've quite a few of them now and they seem to be working out: Court, Tuohy, Boss for starters (quite a few in Connacht) and Ruddock in Leinster. Munster are getting a young openside next season from Rotherham who has just won Player of the Year and Player's Player of the Year. On his biography on their site he says his ambition is to play for Ireland.

Much prefer to have players like him than some other player who isn't good enough for his home country.

Sean Dougall is Irish born though unless im mistaken. He came through Ulster I think

Born in Scotland and grew up in England. Probably came through the Exiles to Ulster Academy. Was there for 2 years, got a serious injury and missed about a season/season & a half and then showed up again in Rotherham.


edit: Maybe Munster (with his injury history) isn't the right place for him