Bingo he was desperate to play for NZ few weeks back... If he wa so passionate about playing for England surely he would have known the exact date he became eligible.

Pepe Reid and Widdop were both born English and it's their right to represent that nation from birth. Not even convinced on Reid as said was a Quernslander through and through few months back, similar with Heighington.

Fact is in comparison to Aus, NZ we are taking these players because they CAN'T get a game for the other side which is embarrassing and a blow to this Englisj lads desperate to play for THEIR Country!

Do you really believe that if Chase had the choice between playing for N.Z or England, he would have picked England?

Many posters like yourself are of the persuasion that ‘If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

Others, like myself, would like to see the World Cup won by a bunch of lads from England, and never the twain..

Why should it be Reed's right to represent England? Hasn't he spent less time in this country than Chase and contributed nothing in that period. Chase will have contributed an awful lot more to this country than an awful lot of people who were born in this country.

We might as well, everyone else does it

Its a joke.

Quote ="Leyther_Matt"Is there any audio available for this interview? Prepared to take it back if this was an on-the-spot interview, but it smacks of 'constructed press release' to me.'" "I'll be playing for the country I call home" www.castigers.com/article.php?id=1813 (AV, just for you ) Personally, I don't care if people regard "home" as where they live and are making a life, or where they were born but don't live, or where their parents come from.

Quote ="Leyther_Matt"Is there any audio available for this interview? Prepared to take it back if this was an on-the-spot interview, but it smacks of 'constructed press release' to me.'" "I'll be playing for the country I call home" www.castigers.com/article.php?id=1813 (AV, just for you ) Personally, I don't care if people regard "home" as where they live and are making a life, or where they were born but don't live, or where their parents come from.

Its a disgrace, international RL is a laughing stock, this would never happen in union!

^ Haha.


Personally, from a selfish point of view, I don't want him playing for England. Mainly because I don't want him getting injured and effecting his career at Cas!

If Rangi wants to wait the allotted time, fully apply to become a British citizen, opt out of all future exile games and reject any possible Kiwi call ups then it'll be fine by me!

Oh dear, Toulouse.

When we compare other sports (first why?) and secondly how many of these players featured AGAINST their 'new' nation within the same year? (banned in NRL).

Oh and what another great franchise success story btw. Great way to end the first period

I really am speechless, i mentioned this on the Dale Cherry-Evans thread as a tongue in cheek comment. Can't believe it has happened.

I was going to try presuade my 6 mates to buy wembley tickets the the 4N finals tickets this year as i was looking forward at seeing some of our young stars a test match. Won't be getting any now.

All these comments "well cricket, RU do it blah blah blah"

I wonder if you would agree if Gareth Ellis, Sam Burgess, George Burgess and James Graham suddenyl decided they wanted to represent OZ.

<bloody immigrants comimg over here and taking all our jobs>?

Dey durba durrs!

I don't agree with the whole situation - I think you should select a country when you start your career and stick to it, but we might as well use it to our advantage while everyone else does.

But none of these players can be said to be true products of the English game any-more than Chase can. If you take your puritanical attitude to its logical conclusion, none of these players should be included. I take a different, more pragmatic approach, and look forward seeing these players representing England. Far more than some English born and trained residents, who actually have worn the shirt. I find it inconsistent to argue for Reid and Widdop's inclusion in the England squad and be against Chase.

I'd love to see Chase pulling on an England shirt against the Kiwi's and Widdop and Reid against the Aussies. I bet they'd all give everything they had.

Yea clearly similar

To be fair, I don't think there is any racial aspect to peoples objections to Chase's inclusion in the England squad.

I'd prefer it but stuff it, beating the Aussies is beating the Aussies. You have to pick the best available if that happens to be a Kiwi who qualifies on residency then got for it.

Almost as good as only having just three teams competing in the grand final during the last three years. So much for increasing competition...

I think there should be some leeway for players who have parents of different nationality. If a player picks England for example but has never represented them and has a french parent then he should be allowed to represent France.

Also young players who have emerging nations originality should be able to represent them before being picked for a more established nation but only at an World Cup Tournament.

at the end of the day rangi chase qualifies for england exactly the same way as the likes of karmichael hunt,petero civoniceva,willie mason for australia and nathan fien & brent webb for NZ

neither do I. Nor do I think there's any racial aspect to migration. I do think it would be totally of any sport not to recognise the fact that in the modern world people change their country of residence and / or nationality. Identity and alleigance are - and always have been fluid and complex

And while my comment was firmly tongue, I do think that people who set up their own rules on identity and allegiance and decide that other people (eg Rangi Chase) have to follow are displayimg a degree of narrow mindedness, and even arrogance.

The only rules that matter are the eligibility rules of the sport (and they're standard across all sports). Both Chase and the England management are within those rules (as is or was the case with, for example, Fa'asavalu, Brough, Henry Paul, Tuilagi, Vainakolo, John Barnes, Kevin Pieterson, Alan Lamb, Tony Greig, Basil D'Oliviera, Fiona May ... and countless others). It's a non-issue, exept for those who want it to be an issue.

good point! I think a bigger problem would have been if Chase had already represented NZ and done what Danny Brough did. That is something that needs to be looked at!

Widdop is English! He moved to Australia at 16, he played most of his junior rugby in England and went to school here.