LEICESTER TIGERS 2021/22 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACTS: Lord of the Mauls

[Crofty]

May have misheard it due to screaming toddlers but thought I heard some chat on BBC Leicester's coverage yesterday about going forward having to have 18 EQP in a 23 every week.

Is this the post Brexit overseas rule that'll be coming in??

If so a max of 5 in the 23 will be tough to achieve.

Looking atm

(Reffell and Henderson being assumed to remain as EQP at least short term)

You'd probably have

Montoya
Liebenberg
Van Staden
Moroni or Scott
Nadolo

In a 23

So
Synman (does he have an English grandparent maybe?)
Brink
Van Wyk (Kobus)
Leatigaga
Murimurivalu
Saumaki
Hegarty
The other of Moroni/Scott

Wouldn't be able to play without at least without one or more of the others not playing

Add in if Potter, Porter, Dolly, Henderson or Reffell got a cap for Aus/Sco/Wal respectively that could be worse.

Certainly we can keep some of them above the 5, but would expect that number to be trimmed a bit.

If French clubs came for Leatigaga, I think we may have to let him go

Van Wyk would likely go too

My understanding was that it was a voluntary scheme where the RFU would pay clubs a substantial sum of money if they played 18 EQP in every match day 23. Didn't catch if it was a "RFU Board's Very Good Idea (TM)" or if it was something that was actually going to happen though.

[TigerFeetSteve]

"From August 2024, the intention is to move to a position where there is a mandatory England Qualified Players (EQPs) system under which Premiership clubs must have a minimum of 15 EQPs in each match-day squad and the end of the foreign player rule to provide better England player development opportunities while giving greater flexibility for Premiership clubs to select non-EQP players of any nationality. There is further work to do to agree on the detail of this subject to a new Professional Game Agreement (PGA) and introduction into regulation."

So still 3 seasons to go
Basically what it is now but mandatory.

Personally hope all our SA back rowers are here for the long haul same with Montoya.

The foreign players who are over 30 are Van Wyk, Nadolo, Murimurivalu, Moroni, Scott
Hergarty, Kobus and Saumaki are 29

Cheers RB, had the kids running around so didn't properly catch all the details thanks for the info.

[Jimmy Skitz]

so it was an extension of the previous system then, a reward for doing so not a hard and fast rule

[Crofty]

That was my understanding of the 18 EQP number conversationon BBC RL, yes.

[trendylfj]

Am I wrong in thinking that the residency rule will still apply to overseas players and some may qualify to be regarded as EQ???

[bendy]

The RL conversation was preceded by "From next season, the RFU will pay each club £750k if FOR EVERY MATCH OF THE SEASON, they field 18 EQP in the matchday 23"

I've no idea if this is correct or not, but that would be a big chunk of change to miss out on if it is the case.

That said, I'd rather win the Prem (and Heineken) with all of our overseas talent, than miss out on the silverware and pocket the cash...

[johnthegriff]

Would cause problems for London Irish. Will there be credit for a club with say five players on England duty if the back-ups are not England qualified bearing in mind there are often Under 20 matches the same weekend as full internationals, would it be racist if a club decided to dispense with the services of an English qualified player who elected to play for another U.K country for whom he was also qualified?
I am all for encouraging the involvement of England players in the English Premiership but if quotas become compulsory or are rewarded with large sums of money then we could be opening a can of worms.

[sk 88]

Listening to pdcast on Radio Leicester this morning he did say 18, but that's not what has been announced publicly anywhere else so would be quite a major scoop. Or else it was an error in speaking. Given the announced figures were 8 foreigners in a squad I could see where the confusion may have arisen.

Does anyone know if Francois van Wyk counts as EQP? He is not cap tied anywhere and has been in England for at least 4 seasons, so presuming he hasn't been out of the country too long in any one spell he would be until January when the residency rules move to 5 years and then would be again from this summer.

[RagingBull]

I think looking in to it Van Wyk was EQP this season, Joined Northampton summer of 2017 so he's was EQP last year.

Liebenberg misses it by 1 year sadly, but he could be EQP by the age of 28. I do hope with the VC role he may well be with Tigers till the end but who knows. Hopefully might be something that keeps him in the country if he isn't getting a look in from SA as his price would raise a lot if he was EQP and these mandatory 15 EQP a match day squad comes in.

[Jimmy Skitz]

its not mandatory its a reward for doing so, we won't get punished for not doing so

[RagingBull]

its not mandatory its a reward for doing so, we won't get punished for not doing so

No the initial proposed rules (So not yet official still in the talks phase) is it will be mandatory from 2024

[longlivethecrumbie]

Fissler has tweeted that Ford has informed Tigers that he'll be off to Sale at the end of the season.

[Old Hob]

A big blow , if true. We have two steady 10s to steer us, though, who won't be missing during internationals.

[LE18]

Fissler has tweeted that Ford has informed Tigers that he'll be off to Sale at the end of the season.

Oh dear.

[TigerMac3]

If it was France, I’d 100% ‘get it’ from Ford’s perspective. But can’t see why you’d leave Tigers for Sale based on current trajectory. Money talks I guess