I could be way off but didn't Fui Fui Moi Moi/Tonga take it to the Aus supreme court or something which basically changed all this. With RL only being big in 2 countries, you get a big court ruling in the main one, well, that kind of dictates what you can do and cant do. Once this barrier had been smashed down in Aus we're hindering ourselves by not following.

I couldn't tell you what the exact rules are, i'm not trying to tell people how it works jusat that i disagree with the fact a new zealander that has played for new zealand (and against england) then can represent any other country.

People migrate. It's a fact. Get over it.

(eg '90s long jumper Fiona May. From Reading. Represented England and GB at world champs and Olympics. Married and moved to Italy. Represented Italy at world champs and Olympics. Perfectly normal, perfectly right and proper, she didn't need the permission of some Italian version of gary numan to represent the different countries she called home.)

Oh, and btw, Rangi Chase has never played for NZ. He's played for the Maori and he's played for the Exiles. But he's never been part of a New Zealand test team.

Spot on, Robinson has been outstanding for England when he has been selected, and has been outstanding for the Giants too, it can only be personal that he doesn't get picked - why would you constantly leave one of the best performing players in his position out of the National team?.

Then the argument - which is perfectly fine for Brown to advance - is that his player deserves a place in the squad. Whether or not you agree with their judgement, it's a perfectly reasonable point for a coach to make (cf Basil and 'why isn't Daz Clarke in the England Knights squad). But that's entirely different to an (Australian) coach abrogating to himself the right to tell at a glance who is and isn't English.

I personally don't understand Henderson's selection, i'm sure he said in the past he had no interest in representing England but I fail to see why Brown hides this rant behind this excuse, it reeks of attention seeking. I can see the point to a degree but the problem is this is the 21st Century sporting world and these are the rules in place, everyone knows them.

The way i see it is this, and probably many will disagree, but let's keep it simple:
English parents and born in England= English.
English parents born elsewhere = English.
Foreign parents born elsewhere = Foreign.
Foreign parents born in england = Foreign.
That's how i see it, and no i don't want to argue about it.

And with good reason

You're taking it too literally in my view; Nathan Brown has presented, in his own homespun way, the argument that it's not good for the England camp to contain non-English players, at the expense of players like Robinson. He seems to be suggesting for example, not that Rangi Chase [ican't[/i be selected for England, but that he [ishouldn't[/i be, regardless of his legal status - a view which many RL fans entirely agree with.

Brown's criticism seems to be aimed at the decision making of Steve MacNamara and doesn't strike me as a particularly offensive or contrary; unlike his choice of shirts.

Jeeees I bet you support the BNP too! Unless I misread your post; lets clear the island of all them foreigners eh, send em all back 'ome

Then you've come to the wrong place. We run these boards as discussion forums.

Meanwhile on Twitter

Then Brown should have kept his argument to "My player is better than those selected" rather than "My player is more English (even if, by implication, he's not as good and has to rely on me telling someone born in Torquay that they're not English)"

There's no doubt that he didn't help his own argument by getting the facts wrong about Henderson.

I actually find his outbursts quite refreshing - he's not especially good at the bland organisation-speak that most clubs spout, but tends instead to speak like a fan; much like his ranting last season about using his big men to deal with foul play if the ref wouldn't protect them - not very pc, but right-minded.

It was a completely ridiculous comment to make. And incorrect. If that's what you like to hear or read from a professional coach, then each to their own.

That settles it. We're all African according to hi de hi!

What happens if you have a english and foreign parent?

Woah. They allow that?

I just realised that my wife is from Yorkshire, 2 kids born in Warrington and 1 in Nottingham

I'm packing my bag and leaving home as we speak

I know people migrate, i don't need to get over it.
i've never said she needed permission from myself or an italian version.i just don't agree with it. get over it.
Rangi chase has represented new zealand at junior level aswell as the racist NZ maori team, as far as i'm concerned he's made his choice and should stick with it.
To me playing for your country is an absolute honour. I was born in England ,my mother is English my father Scottish, if i was any good at any particular sport i could play for either. I consider myself as being English and would never play for any other country even if scotland wanted me and england didn't. I hate it when players opt to play for a different country after playing for another, it cheapens it for me and makes them look fickle.

right, so I was born in England, raised in England and barring five years at university in Wales and a year in Spain I have lived the other 22 of my 28 years in widnes. I also have an English accent and a British passport yet my parents are Dutch and Irish, therefore im foreign.

according to hi De Hi you're an anomaly that isn't eligible play for anyone.

A lot of fans are total s. Which is what a SL coach sounds like when he speaks like one.

Identifying with a particular culture is one thing. Legally acquiring a nationality is something else entirely. Unless a person changes their nationality by becoming the legal citizen of another country they are the nationality of the country in which they are born, regardless of their heritage. They may wish to identify with their heritage rather than their birth country but that doesn't change the legal standing of their nationality.

That is what I was saying. I wasn't expressing a preference.

I have since read another post which asserts that the law has changed in this country and that the laws in the United Emirates, for example, are different. Which is fine. But when I wrote my original post, I referred to the situation as it was 10 years ago.

Although not likely as no one in the bloody Channel Islands even knows what Rugby League is!!

I hate being a Guernseyman...

But yeah, I can also wear a kilt without causing offence! Although usually have to quickly explain I'm a Islander and not necessarily English.