RE: British And Irish Lions Tour Opener
You are viewing a single comment's thread:
The question of who should be able to qualify for national teams is a bit of a tricky one. I think it is cool that you can qualify for some of these teams based on a grandparent's ancestry, especially considering all of the British and Irish born abroad. Generally speaking, going off of residency does invite the opportunity for bad actors to potentially bring people in, although that might hardly be worth the hassle in this particular case.
0
0
0.000
If the player has played in a certain country for 4 years earning him the right to citizenship then he has to be good enough. Players who get work permits for professional sports at least are given the option because most countries will not select you unless you are playing in their country leagues. I know SA will not select a player outside the borders unless he has proven himself locally first.
I think that makes total sense in this case. I would imagine that choosing players that have been playing locally for awhile is also better for the fans, as they should already have some built up admiration for the players, and can better connect with the team.