Samoan PM wants to break IRB 'monopoly'

Published: 7:50PM Monday August 15, 2011 Source: ONE News

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The Samoan Prime Minister wants help from Commonwealth leaders to break down what he labels an International Rugby Board monopoly.

As the Rugby World Cup tournament approaches Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has spoken out about the IRB rule on player eligibility which means top level players cannot represent more than one country.

"This is the most unfair organisation, the IRB," Malielegaoi said.

Malielegaoi, who is also president of the country's rugby union, has been fighting an ongoing battle against an IRB ruling forbidding players from representing a country when they have already played for another.

New Zealand has previously backed its Pacific neighbours but the Samoan Prime Minister wants all Commonwealth leaders to step in.

"The other national teams should have the guts to keep fighting and fighting and fighting to break up the monopoly," Malielegaoi said.

Relaxing the rule would give Manu Samoa a bigger selection pool.

"Obviously it would be a big boost with the experience of those players that come through the New Zealand All Black system," Samoan fullback Paul Williams said.

For Alesana Tuilagi, it's personal. He played a key role in Manu Samoa's recent whipping of the Wallabies while his brother Manu plays for England. But the IRB rule means they can never play together for their country.

"It would be great for all of our brothers to be representing our country," Malielegaoi said.

And Malielegaoi said New Zealand, Australia and South Africa have a responsibility to make that happen.

"If they continue to behave the way they are, they are all cowards, they should stand up and fight."

In a statement to ONE News the IRB says it's committed to the growth and development of Pacific rugby and is putting $33 million into the region's rugby unions.

It says it is funding several Pacific tournaments and paying for a new state of the art $1.9 million high performance centre in Apia.

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