REGULATION 8 EXPLANATORY GUIDELINES (d) For Olympic Event participation, the nationality of the Union / country the Player wishes to represent is also required. 4. If a Player has dual eligibility, can he play for the senior or next senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team or the senior National Representative Sevens Team of more than one Union? No, save for those Players that, before 1 January 2000, allowed a period of 36 consecutive months to elapse after they had played for another Union and who played for the second Union before 1 January 2000. The one Union only rule, introduced by World Rugby from 1st January 2000 (as set out in Regulation 8.2), will be maintained. A Player is only entitled to play Rugby Union for the senior or next senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team or the senior National Representative Sevens Team of one Union. Accordingly, if a Player is deemed to have played for such a team, even if he is able to satisfy one or more of the eligibility criteria set out in Regulation 8.1, he will not be able to play for any other Union. Consistent with the overall rationale underlying the eligibility Regulations, the one Union only rule is designed to maintain the integrity of the international Game. Once a Player has committed himself to a particular Union, through participation in one of the Matches or Tours identified in Regulations 8.3 or 8.4, he is unable to change his “Rugby Nationality” which becomes fixed. 5. When is a Player deemed to have played for the senior or next senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team of a Union or a Union’s senior National Representative Sevens Team? As a result of the one Union only rule, in particular, it is essential that Players and Unions understand the situations in which Players will be deemed to have played for the senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team or the next senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team of a Union or a Union’s senior National Representative Sevens Team. These situations are set out in Regulations 8.3 and 8.4. Players and Unions shall, at all times, have regard to the full terms of Regulations 8.3 and 8.4, however, by way of a summary only, the situations set out below are covered: Fifteen-a-side (a) Players who participate in International Matches for the senior National Representative Team or the next senior National Representative Team of a Union against the senior or next senior National Representative Team of another Union. (b) Players selected to represent a Union’s senior Touring Squad who participate in any Match played by members of that Union’s senior Touring Squad during an International Tour provided such International Tour includes an International Match(es) approved by World Rugby. Last update: 14 January, 2015 139
World Rugby Handbook
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