International Rugby League chairman Troy Grant has defended the decision to permit players to represent the nation where one of their great-grandparents were born, as Samoa forward Spencer Leniu lashed out at World Cup organisers, claiming “they’ve used our people to sell games”.
The new eligibility rules were announced in Sydney on Monday as the Pacific and the United States were confirmed as the host of the next World Cup in 2030.
Samoa and Tonga have been elevated to Tier 1 nations as the 2030 World Cup is set to be hosted on their home soil.
Leniu said holding the next edition in the region “shows the importance of our people in growing our game”, but took a shot at the huge gulf in player payments at this World Cup as he was hit with a grade-three charge over an incident that led him to be sin-binned during Samoa’s 44-12 semi-final defeat to Australia on Sunday night.
“Let’s be honest, our little nations carried this WC. Yet we are paid $850(US$588) a game [compared] to the Aussies [who get] 30/40k for the tournament,” Leniu wrote in a social media post.
He is facing a two-game suspension, which would rule him out of Parramatta’s NRL opener in Las Vegas next season, after being hit with a contrary conduct charge for making a gesture towards referee Adam Gee.
The incoming Parramatta enforcer said it was “no secret that they’ve used our people to sell games” and believes they should be properly rewarded for it.
Members of the Australian team receive $40,000(US$27,000) each for the World Cup under the Rugby League Players’ Association’s collective bargaining agreement with the Australian Rugby League Commission, while players from other countries have received $850 per appearance.
“Taking the next WC to the US, specifically Utah and Hawaii, where there is a big Polynesian community shows the importance of our people in growing our game,” Leniu said. “So I believe if they are going to use that as a tool to generate money, our little nations should be compensated fairly for it.”
The ARL Commission will organise and run the 2030 tournament, which will be staged in a Magic Round-style format with a full slate of men’s and women’s pool matches to be played over three days in one stadium before moving onto another venue.
Under the format, the group stage will take place at up to five venues from Australia to the US, with potential host cities and states including Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland, Hawaii and Utah.
Spencer Leniu leaves the field after he was sent to the sin bin.
The latest change to rugby league’s eligibility criteria continues its fluid approach to regulations governing the international game and was the result of an application from the Cook Islands and their coach, Karmichael Hunt.
While payers have previously been allowed to wear the colours of a country where one of their parents or grandparents was born, they can now point to the nation of birth of one of their eight great-grandparents.
Sport governing bodies such as World Rugby, FIFA and World Athletics also have a grandparent rule.
But the IRL’s extension to another generation in a player’s lineage puts the code in a league of its own.
“It may not be as pure as some people may think it should be, or fit their mindsets. I don’t really care about that,” said Grant, a former NSW racing minister.
“I care about growing the game and giving every player the opportunity to represent their nation and I care that the fans are getting the best outcomes, which we have seen during this World Cup.”
International rugby league has enjoyed the fruits of players embracing their heritage, particularly those from Pacific Island backgrounds. Tonga and Samoa, who met in an unforgettable pool game at CommBank Stadium eight days ago, have become heavyweights as a result.
The new move is a shameless bid to spread even more NRL talent around the globe, no matter how distant the connection between players and the nation of their forebears.
Grant cited Canberra fullback Kaeo Weekes as a player who could benefit from the updated rules, saying they would have allowed him to turn out for the Cook Islands at this World Cup if they had been in place before the tournament.
“I think we have players sitting on the sidelines who the public deserve to see show their skills,” Grant said.
“We want the best players available and with the economic conditions, the way the geopolitical world’s operating, there is a lot of movement from nation to nation.
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“I think it enhances rather than in any way undermines the game into the future.”
The call was made nine months after a State of Origin eligibility shake-up that freed New Zealand internationals to also play for NSW and Queensland, clearing the way for Maroons star Kalyn Ponga to declare his allegiance to the Kiwis.
Grant said the IRL board had also committed to explore elevating Tonga and Samoa to tier-one nations.
“They’ve lit up international rugby league like we haven’t seen before and we’re enormously grateful for that,” he said.
Despite the 2030 World Cup being hosted by the Pacific and the US, it’s highly unlikely that the group-stage travelling roadshow will reach the likes of Fiji, Tonga and Samoa due to limited infrastructure there such as stadiums and hotels.
The IRL has designs on holding the 2034 World Cup in Europe and Africa, Grant said.
