Going abroad won't make players better

REALLY am getting fed up with the constant call from players wanting to have their cake and eat it by calling for a change in the overseas players selection policy, as if that will suddenly make everything that’s wrong in the game right.

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Yes, for those lucky enough to get offered a contract in France or Japan it will almost certainly guarantee a level of job security that unfortunately the Premiership no longer appears to be able to offer. However, the idea that playing abroad and earning more money will automatically make players better and improve them as potential internationals is pure speculation.

In fact, it would probably make selection a lot harder for a coach trying to assess which of the players are actually producing the best form. It’s bad enough trying to identify who are the best players in the Premiership given the addition of so many so-called ‘star imports’ changing the way that teams play.

Is it any wonder that the Top 14 in France has put restrictions on the number of non-qualified French players in matchday squads? This must currently average 16 French-qualified players per matchday squad throughout the season.

Believe it or not, the Premiership also has a restriction on the number of overseas players allowed in their matchday squads, restricted to just two, which may seem odd given the make-up of a number of matchday squads.

However, this is because of the European Court ruling in 2003 which stated South African, Tongan, Fijians, and Samoan players were not classified as overseas players in the context of Premiership squad rules. This also applies to EU nationals who, as we were part of the European Union at the time, had the same rights as local workers, meaning that Irish, French, Italian, German etc. are considered local in the context of professional rugby.