Gregor Paul: The real reason Pacific rugby nations are suffering

Steven Luatua made 15 appearances for the All Blacks after representing Samoa at U20 level. Photo / Photosport

Those who have been campaigning for change in the eligibility laws these last few months have been selling Pacific Islands rugby horribly short.

Across the world right now there are hundreds of players with a vested interest in seeing things change so that those who are appropriately qualified could play for a Tier One nation such as New Zealand, stand down for a year, and then represent a Tier Two nation such as Samoa, Tonga or Fiji.

The concept pushes a few emotional buttons as it would, potentially, allow the Island nations to access a wider base of players, particularly at World Cups.

There are, currently, double-digit numbers of former All Blacks and Wallabies who would love to be playing test football for the Pacific Island nation for which they are qualified but can't because their eligibility is captured.

It seems, to some, a nonsense that dual-qualified players can only play for one nation. It is, apparently, a gross injustice that the likes of Charles Piutau and Steven Luatua can win a few caps for the All Blacks and then when they are no longer needed or wanted, they aren't able to then re-commit to Tonga and Samoa respectively.

Why have all that talent and experience barred from playing test football when the Island nations are struggling as much as they are?

But the gross injustice afflicting the Island nations is not the current eligibility laws.

The gross injustice is the chronic neglect of their development and inability or refusal of World Rugby and the heavyweight nations to commit to a sustainable framework where the Island nations are able to play regular, meaningful tests and benefit financially from doing so.

The gross injustice is that the Islands are on New Zealand and Australia's doorstep and yet they are not part of Super Rugby while Japan is, and nor are they part of the Rugby Championship and yet Argentina is.

The Islands are being killed by a chronic lack of investment and lack of support.

They can't persuade dual qualified players to commit to them because they can't offer guarantees about payment and have little idea about what their test programmes will look like from one year to the next.

That's what needs to be fixed – not the eligibility laws. When the All Blacks selected Luatua, Piutau and Malakai Fekitoa, none were torn about accepting the offer.

Charles Piutau, left, and Malakai Fekitoa both represented Tonga early in their rugby careers. Photo / Photosport

None of them were ripped up inside trying to work out whether to commit to New Zealand or reject the chance to play for the All Blacks and instead throw their lot in with Samoa, in Luatua's case, or Tonga for the other two.

Playing for the All Blacks meant $7500 every test week. Playing for the All Blacks meant they could boost the value of their New Zealand Rugby retainers and it also meant their value to offshore clubs would rocket.

Playing for Samoa meant Luatua would most likely have to leave the Blues, as his earning potential in New Zealand would be reduced as a result of not being All Blacks eligible.

He would receive next to nothing in test fees with Samoa and wherever he ended up in the world, he'd face genuine issues being released to play test rugby.

That last part would be illegal, but it would still happen as European clubs bully players from the Pacific Islands – threatening them with all sorts of financial penalties if they opt to make themselves available to play international rugby.

So there was no choice back in 2013 when the All Blacks came calling, just as there is no choice now. That's what needs to be fixed.

Tonga, Fiji and Samoa combined for just three victories at the 2019 Rugby World Cup tournament. Photo / Photosport

Samoa, Tonga and Fiji need to be able to access their players first, not second. They can't be asked to sit on their hands and wait for those picked for the All Blacks or Wallabies to determine when they might give up on that dream and change track.

We all know how this would work – that a whole heap of unwanted All Blacks and Wallabies would miraculously make themselves available for an Island nation in World Cup year and perhaps lose their enthusiasm for the whole business after that, when the realities of life with a Tier Two nation hit home.

Changing the eligibility laws would be raising the white flag and saying the Islands will always be second choice and that their ongoing neglect will not only continue indefinitely, it will effectively be condoned.

Just as bad will be the damage to its credibility. Rugby has previously allowed players to represent two nations in a career.

That all stopped in 2000 when even the gin-swilling, blazer brigade could see it was a farce that someone could be playing for the All Blacks one week and against them the next.

The Pacific Islands need passionate campaigners and those with a voice to shout on their behalf. But they have to make sense not noise.