Re: Did the All blacks Miss Lomu ?

John Williams <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...

>  Maybe there's a case to send
> all the younger NZ forwards over to join the AB retirees and form
> (boost?) London NZ, who could get some forward practice.

Shhhh!  Watch it John!  Someone from NZRFU et al might read that!

The structure of the RFU's club sometitions is such that the above is
entirely feasible...  that an "English" club could be packed with an
"academy" and use the Cl;ubs championship and eventually Zp to hone
their skills.

In fcat, somebody actually used this as a reason when the leagues were
first introduced to say that the likes of London Sottish and welsh and
Irish shouldn't be included...  my memory suggests it was Simon
halliday but given his own dual interbnational scenario (IIRC NZ &
Ebngland) that would be ironic!

For a national union setting up such an academy wouldn't be that
difficult or even partcularly expensive 9at least until; its time for
the ZP and the ground requirements).

Aren't there any rules about numbers of overseas playesr in a club
team though?  Here at devizes (level 7) we have had to have been
careful with the number of Fijian lads we play  IIRC although we have
now been told that as they are in the British Army they count as
"locals" and are thus unlimited...

didds