So much racism in this thread it's untrue



What I've got from the dross on here is someone who is more than willing to both represent the nation and apply to be a citizen of the nation cannot play for the country?

Talk about small minded idiots



The man wants to be English and is one of the best players available to the England squad, so quite rightly he has been picked.



Ah so he's "johnny foreigner" now and not someone who wishes to be a member of British society and be British - hence wanting to take citizenship.

Not racist, just narrow minded and stupid

I was waiting for that one; first it was 'it's because he's a Cas player' and now it's racism.

Predictable and dull.

As the policy on international players is usually about where you come from and which strip of land's people you choose to represent it's not really a racism issue along normal lines and the debate shouldn't really go down that route in any reasonable board.

Abandon ship then.

So someone who wishes to apply to become a citizen of a country can never represent that country? Just because they were born somewhere else that means they can NEVER be considered to be from the country they work in and call home?

What about someone who, in 2 years time, will definately think about applying for citizenship - as Rangi Chase says he will?

I think the solution is fairly obvious - anyone who wants to play for the nation applies for dual citizenship first. When they are a citizen, then they are eligible.

If he wants to apply to be British, then good for him, but he should have wait for two years before he can play then. In what other sport can you represent a country without having a passport for them?

Every sport recognises the reality of migration, recognises that people move from one country to another, and that they even change nationality, That is why the 3-year residency qualification is pretty standard across all sports.

Every sport, the eligibility rules are the same, it just happens that in Britain it falls 2 years before you can become a citizen.

Look at Tuilagi in Union, he was struggling to get a visa at the start of the year, now he's an England international!

What?

What?

When did I....what???

Why not wait til he does that then?

Gronk, learn the meaning of racism lad! Or should every national team / institution be labelled racist? What an idiotic comment.

Gronk both Chase and all you Cas fans were wishing he'd get in the NZ squad last week yet now your championing his England inclusion... Do you not feel a bit silly with that no?

Not got anything against him wanting to be a citizen and he'll cross that bridge in 2 years or so but he was all Kiwi 3 months back!

Because the rules state that you can play for a country after you have lived in that nation for 3 years





I don't see every institution/national team trying to oust somebody who wants to represent them - and is legally allowed to do so just because he wasn't born in the country. Legally, he is English because that is what the rule makes him, on residency grounds.



He's certainly good enough to get in the Kiwi squad, he's a far superior player to Thomas Leuluai. But I would much rather have Chase playing for England and in fact I've said it in numerous posts on here BEFORE Chase joined the squad, it's New Zealand's loss and England's gain.

Every sport?
FIFA tells me: "1. Any player who is a naturalised citizen of a country in virtue of that country's laws shall be eligible to play for a national or representative team of that country." That would mean Chase is ineligible for England at football, but is in RL. How does that work then?

Even all the Saffas in the England cricket team have British passports and family.

Just had to highlight that bit - I would have Leuluai before Chase at Hull FC

He is a cracking player

If Chase had stated 12 months ago 'I want to be English' fair enough but I'm not going to act like he's Winston Churchill now he's decided it's his one shot at international rugby ATM. Again that's my one major issue and why laughable he's being held as a martyr!

Seem's I'm blaming Chase a bit, but I don't really but all these patriotic comments are taking the pi$$ a little bit tbh. Be better if he kept his head down and did his bit being a top class RL player.

Because citizenship, residency and sporting elegibility rules are different things.

What utter rubbish. Surely being fecking English comes before being 'the best'? Unbelievable how so many people are just swallowing this - it's shambolic. How the hell does omitting our best young products from the international game, in favour of an Aussie or Kiwi help our game long term? Unless you're happy to see a none English team running around in 10 years time? Maybe that's what you want?!

Where would Moz be, and Tomkins, and Briscoe, and Burgess etc etc had they been denied the chance to play for their country by some kid who regardless of the rules, is an Aussie, Kiwi, or whatever? The rules are a joke, and the fact they do it in cricket and union simply doesn't come into it. Same applies to Fijians playing for Aus etc. so this isn't a crusade against Chase. I felt the same about Fa'assavalu, Withers and Tollett - and he was born here. My mate was born in Oldham but moved down under at 2 weeks old - suppose that makes him an Oldham lad?

Awful precedent to set.

I cannot understand, for the life of me, why people hold such ridiculously entrenched views on this subject. When you think about it, it's not even all that controversial any-more. But it seems that some people want to stick to some quixotic, and incredibly naive, version of what they think international sport is meant to represent.

The laughable thing is that people can’t even be consistent with it, and make their own exceptions for one player and not another. If you are going to be puritanical then, at least, be consistent. International sport is either:

1) A showcase, which is purely and exclusively for the homegrown talent. (That is players born here, coached here and both playing and contributing to the sport here and resident here).

Or

2) It is there simply to represent us all even by, if felt necessary, people who also may come from different backgrounds and have skills learned elsewhere, but are legally eligible and want to represent an adopted country. (Which is the case, or the 3-year residency law would not be in place)

If it is #1 (and the reality is that it isn’t) then neither Widdop or Reid should be selected. They were both brought to pro standard via the Australian youth system and neither of them have played a single game in the ESL and don’t even reside in the country that they want to play for. Therefore, if you agree to these players being in the England set up, you can only believe in option #2. Thus there can be no argument against Rangi Chase also being allowed to play for England.

Anything else is either an irrational ideal or racist. The majority of people who are against Rangi Chase do seem to be more irrational that racist though - Thank God

Look, the lad wants to play for England, he is legally allowed to do so, the England coach wants him and he's better than anything we have. The national side has been a joke for years, with all the depth of a puddle in Saudi Arabia, and he fills a position we have struggled for quality in for years. If he makes England that little bit better (and he will) and gets us closer to the likes of Australia and NZ, then we should be all for it. There is also a bigger picture here too.

Personally, I'm genuinely excited at the thought of having a quality, match-changing player, such as Rangi Chase pulling on an England shirt. Far, far more than I was when Messrs Brown and Robinson did.

How is it even closely racist to want England citizens to play for England.

I support England because I am English and want to see English lads / ladies represent our country at any sporting level. Would I feel 'represented' by Rangi Chase? No.

If you 'want to see best players no matter were born etc' isn't that what the club games for? Even the exiles game!

No one can deny that it is exciting to have all 3 MOS contenders in the England team.

You might not feel represented by Rangi, but what about those who have migrated here to start a new and better life, who contribute to this country, who plan on throwing down permanent roots here and who are proud to now call themselves English? Are they not allowed to have a role model whom they can identify with within the English team because you and others have what can be seen as a xenophobic attitude?

Although I am not a huge fan of the residency criteria rule which is allowed in RL among other sports I an not keen on this whole "english rugby league for english born players only" shout from some people.

It might not be racist but I am not comfortable with it at all. Even if you do not like the choice Rangi has made, you should still support him if you are an england fan.

Rangi has come over to the UK, contributes to society, pays taxes and entertains fans every week. He is not some kind of johnny foreigner as some people call him.

I'm not saying you are racist. You have a naive and wrong-headed view of what international sports represents, in it's current form. You are clearly not alone in that. You have also ignored and failed to address what has been written, by me, in that post.