Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira
by Tony Johnson | 01 July 2010 (07:44)
It has been interesting to watch the saga of Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira from afar.
It all seems rather strange that, having satisfied IRB residency regulations he then be left out of the Springboks at the behest of the politicians who then grant him citizenship so he can return to the team.
The end result is good, not just for South Africa, but for test rugby. Mtawarira is star quality, and had he no longer been eligible for South Africa he would have been lost to the highest level of the game because of the IRB regulations that stop a player from representing more than one country.
It did get me thinking about the issue of players appearing for a country other than that of their birth. After all, over the years New Zealand has been accused of “raping and pillaging” the playing stocks of the Pacific nations, notably Fiji and Samoa.
Much of the criticism of New Zealand has, I feel, been unjustified, or over the top.
It is true that there have been a number of Pacific born players in the black jersey, with three in the current squad being Jerome Kaino (American Samoa), Joe Rokocoko (Fiji) and Mils Muliaina (Samoa).
All three arrived in New Zealand with their families before they were of school age, part of a migration that began back in the 1960s, as people came looking for work and a good education for their children. The consequence of this is that Auckland is the biggest Polynesian city in the world, while more and more people are born and raised in New Zealand of families that are Samoan, Fijian, Tongan, Cook Island, Niue, or a mixture those and other races. They are New Zealanders, and they are Pacific Islanders, and their Pasifika is celebrated and very much part of the New Zealand cultural makeup.
Two of our most famous All Blacks, Michael Jones and Bryan Williams were born in New Zealand as a consequence of Samoan/European New Zealand marriages, while other Kiwi born Polynesian All Blacks include Tana Umaga, Ma’a Nonu, Andrew Blowers, Neemia Tialata, Keven Mealamu, Frank Bunce, Doug Howlett and Walter Little.
It is true that some players have been lured to New Zealand to play rugby, sometimes for provincial sides, but more often by Schools who have offered educational scholarships to players from the Pacific Islands who “just happen” to be good rugby players. Many of those have gone back to play for their country of birth, and many have stayed, but none that I know have yet gone on to be All Blacks.
Sitiveni Sivivatu is an interesting example. He came to school in New Zealand at 15, attending the famous Wesley College in South Auckland that produced Jonah Lomu. Until he came to NZ he was a soccer player, but at Wesley he switched to rugby and stayed on to play for Counties, the Chiefs and ultimately the All Blacks. It wasn’t until he was mentioned as an All Black candidate that Fiji rugby bosses even knew about him. By then Siti had his heart set on being an All Black, but at Fijis insistence the IRB ruled the years he had spent at Wesley were invalid as far as qualifying were concerned, and he had to sit out another three before he could play for New Zealand.
You could argue that, if anything, New Zealand has been more a benefactor than a beneficiary. For every one Pacific Islands born player who has represented New Zealand there are seven New Zealand born players who have played for another country.
At the 2003 Rugby World Cup 17 of the 30 strong Samoan team were New Zealand born, and others were New Zealand raised. No-one had any issue with that, and nor should they have.
The recent England team touring down under featured two Maori players, in Dan Ward Smith and Shontayne Hape, and would have featured a third if Riki Flutey had been fit. England, whose journalists have been the most scathing in their condemnation of New Zealand, have fielded a plethora of foreign born players over the years although they’ve got a way to go to match their cricket team. But unlike the Pacific Islanders in the All Blacks, and the Zimbabweans who have played for South Africa, many of these have been players who went to England simply to play professional sport. There’s a difference.
But I see no difference between Tendai Mtawarira, Bob Skinstad, Korne Crige, Tonderai Chavanga, Gary Teichmann and Adrian Garvey, and Sivivatu, Muliaina, Kaino, Jerry Collins, Rodney So’oialo and Joe Rokocoko....or Lote Tuqiri, Will Genia, Quade Cooper, Digby Ioane, Jeremy Paul, Clyde Rathbone and Dan Vickerman.
It’s the way of the world.
One thing that would be good, would be to loosen the IRB regulations so that a player who has represented a tier one country but is no longer in contention, is allowed to play for his country of origin if they are from a lower rung on the ladder.
One example would be Andrew Blowers, a New Zealand born player of Samoan heritage, who after being an All Black left to play overseas and later expressed a desire to play for Samoa, but was not allowed by the IRB.
Another would be Radike Samo, the Brumbies lock who was just about to play for his native Fiji when he was chosen for Australia, who then after a few tests, discarded him. He is lost to test rugby. Having represented Australia he should not be allowed to play for New Zealand, England or France, but what would be so terribly wrong with him playing for Fiji, or even Japan, where he has been playing club rugby.
The New Zealand Rugby Union tried to push through such a regulation change, but they were beaten, presumably because others saw some sinister intent in New Zealand actions, when there was none.
It’s a touchy issue, and I don’t expect you all to agree with what I’ve written, but I look forward to your comments.
