How anyone thinks by picking Aussies/Kiwis not good enought to make their own national teams is going to improve our chances is beyond me. It's because of the amount of second rate Aussies/Kiwis sacturating SL that we're in this mess in the first place, now we're selecting them for England!

Take a look back at the interview Chase did before the Exiles game, soooo embarrassing for him and Steve Mac now!!!

Basically he says how he wants to play well so he can earn a call up to the NZ which has always been his dream etc.

I know nobody seems to be pro chase, but what are peoples thoughts about heighington playing, he after all does have some english blood in his veins. Or has this been discussed elsewhere?

Heighington, like Chase, has England as his second choice.

And I don't think he's spent much, if any time in England.

Who gives! If a player can claim residency then he can play for his new home country. The aussies and many other countries have been doing it for years but us brits turn our nose up at it for some bizzarre reason. Lomax and Chase in the halfs or McGuire and Brough, i know who id choose?

I find it incredulous that a bunch of half witted posters are calling the current Man of Steel over-rated!!! And to say he's not good enough for New Zealand - I bet that Heremaia, or Hohaia won't win M.O.S next year, and they're current NZ internationals.

If every other team in every other sport does it, why the hell shouldn't we? If anyone accused Mo Farrar of being Somalian, and not English - you be rightly deemed a racist.

I think if you want to become british having no parental connections or not being born here, then you should have to do 6 months in Afghanistan clearing IED's for boy's out there. Then if you survive I'd have no problem with it.

You've got to admit it you'd know they were serious about.

The difference is those Aussies were actually born in Australia or at least raised there.

For some reason people think that Australia has all of these islanders playing for them when all of them are actually Australian.

Well that's because NZ are strong in the halfs.

Why would be rightly deemed a racist ?

You cant bring Farah into this anyway as the guy moved to the UK with his parents when he was 5 or something so he grew up over here and classes himself as English.

"The Fijian-born Uate, who hails from Votua and Nadroga, moved to Australia as a 15-year old to live with his father on New South Wales' Central Coast"

So that's 7 years in Aus. Is that really all that different?

Yes it is.

You cant compare a 15 year old school boy moving to another country and coming through all of their systems to Rangi Chase who only moved over here because he got a job in the UK and already was a professional sportsman.

I fail to see why you can't make a comparison. Chase and Uate have both spent more time in the Country of their birth than their newer adopted nations. In fact, Uate hasn't even been able to speak English half his life yet! Nationalism and identity nowadays are a mindset.

If Chase had been in the same situation as Uate I would have no problem with him getting selected.

So where is your cut off point? 15? 16? 18?

we have people that want to moan raggy it comes second nature over here. What harm is strengthening the squad the the current MOS. Foran is Aussie born and bred and he will be playing for the kiwis and the Aussie have had that many in the past they cant complain. we need the international game to be competitive to push the game on. I have no issue with Rangi playing if selected.

If they come through a countries system like Uate did he would be classed as eligible, I mean Uate even played for Australian schoolboys.

Kieran Foran was born in NZ.

But then he could still play for Fiji, even though he didn't come through their system. So Uate could take his pick of two nations, whereas Chase should only be allowed one? If he plans to stay here for the rest of his career, and considers himself English, I don't have a problem with it. His recent interview where he said he dreams of playing for NZ does cast doubt on whether that is the case though!

That's another issue I have with the Chase and Heighington selections as choosing to play for England was their second choice.

Its also why Reed should be commended for turning his back on Australia and Queensland to play for England.

How about Jason Nightingale, Brent Webb or all the Tongans/Samoans/Cook Islanders that play for the Kiwi's?

Being able to point to being a current England international does seem a good way to get around any potential VISA issues to me.

Just saying like...

Sorry HF you are right about that. I have been following a debate on the Manly site where they are cheesed off with him as he came through the Aussie system and played Aussie Schoolboys and they feel he should of repaid Austrailia for his upbringing.

And I suppose the worst example of all has been Tonie Carroll. (born in New Zealand) educated in Aus played Aus schoolboys and state of origin . then played for New Zealand in the 2000 world cup (scoring in the final against Aus).Then going on to represent Aus himself 7 times.

It's a bit more complex with them as a lot of those Islands are governed by NZ and belong to them. They also never had national sides untill not so long ago.

I'm happy for players who were brought up in the youth system of that country to be eligible to play for either their country of birth or their adopted country. When a player signs their first professional contract they will then have to pick their alligence, and stick with it, for rep football and transfers/over seas quotas.