England V France

[Mich the Tester]

The richest countries can also invest in training centres, scholarships and so on to find and nurture their youngsters the best.

Although, I think a player should have SOME link other than living there.

Like what?

[Arturo Bassick]

It's already the case. Why don't Samoa beat New Zealand and why don't Georgia or Morocco (or the Basques for that matter) beat France?

That is not already the case. Sure, players are poached, but there is still some link (however tenuous) to the nations they play for.

Maybe there should be a legal requirement that the stretch used in sport should also be allowed for migrants to gain passports and citizenship and see how long those stretches last.

[DodgyAgent]

Yes. The Dutch offered me a chance to play at a level I probably wouldn't otherwise achieve, and I'm grateful for that; grateful to the point that I now put in quite a lot of work to support the Dutch mens and ladies sevens teams.

When they play in the Olympics in 2016 I'll be cheering like mad, not because of any 'national pride' but because I know the players and have worked in the system that's developing them.

Did you get a Dutch cap then Mitch?

[Mich the Tester]

Did you get a Dutch cap then Mitch?