An official word on Pacific problems

By HELEN TUNNAH and NZPA

The Government is to take up the cause of Pacific Island rugby states with the International Rugby Board during the cup.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said through a spokesman that Government representatives would seek talks with the IRB about the struggling fortunes of Island nations.

Pacific states such as Samoa and Fiji have warned that they may have to quit professional international rugby unless strict eligibility rules affecting their players are relaxed.

The IRB says players who play for a country's national team, A team or sevens side cannot play for any other country.

Pacific players in New Zealand have to declare their international rugby allegiance to this country or risk missing out on lucrative Super 12 or domestic competition contracts.



* New Zealand has lost the parliamentarians' rugby World Cup, losing 12 - 5 to Australia in Canberra.

MP and NZ captain Damien O'Connor said: "On the day they were the better team." But he had told the Aussies it would be the only World Cup NZ would allow to stay across the Tasman this year.

NZ won the parliamentarians' World Cup in South Africa in 1995 and retained it in Britain in 1999.

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