12/18/24
November 02, 2006
Grannygate: Rugby League international Nathan Fien mistakes his great grandmother for his grandmother. All hell breaks loose.
"Love said it was clear the NZRL had become aware on October 19 - two days before Fien made his Kiwis debut in their loss to Australia - that the birth certificate was for his great-grandmother." if that is the case then it really was stupidity on the part of the NZRL to play him. Two options, either they didn't really pay attention and made a mistake, or they realised that he was ineligible and cheated. Either way it is only right that NZ have the points deducted, but now what is the story with Britain? Do they get the points instead? Or is it a case that no body does?
posted by Fence at 02:50 AM on November 03, 2006
The eligibility rules are stupid. If you want to play for a country, you should have either been born there or gained legal citizenship there. Having a grandmother from a different country, does not make you a different nationality. (Sorry, but that also applies to the millions of Americans who think they're Irish too.) There was a time a few years ago when virtually half of the entire Welsh rugby union squad spoke with an Australian accent, it was ridiculous. It also goes for other sports as well, most notably athletics, where rich Gulf states buy up African distance runners for a couple of million quid, even though they've spent their entire career running in the vest of their real country.
posted by afx237vi at 07:48 AM on November 03, 2006
Update is that the Kiwis are docked the points, which have been given to Britain. The game score was reset to zero (in case points difference is required later). Britain beat Australia last night, which definitely puts the Kiwis (the holders) out of the Tri Nations. Also, according to the crappy tabloid TV news we receive up here in Samoa (what, you mean that's the best one NZers get?), the head of the NZRL has quit and the coach is next to go. It seems they are using the affair as an excuse for an administrative purge.
posted by owlhouse at 03:44 PM on November 04, 2006
Britain beat Australia last night, which definitely puts the Kiwis (the holders) out of the Tri Nations. Or not, as the case may be.
posted by noizyboy at 07:53 PM on November 26, 2006
Probably not the only sport that needs to tidy up their eligibility requirements. Still, pretty stupid of the NZRL to play him when they knew, or at least harboured deep suspicions. This probably puts NZ out of the Tri Nations.