Post by kreuzbergred on Apr 15, 2023 17:32:27 GMT
THE UK Government, in concert with the Rugby Football League, have tweaked the requirements for overseas players and coaches to get a work visa and ply their trades in Britain.
The Government has always required players and coaches to add something to the sport and the country as a whole if they are to work here; the ways in which this is measured change as often as yearly.
Players who do not meet the primary requirements to apply for a visa now have an age limited on whether they will still be considered and the number of NRL games they must have played during the previous season has gone up to 50 per cent.
A floor on how much these players are paid has been removed.
The impact would seem to encourage younger, better players to join the British game, in the wake of lingering criticism of some collecting a “retirement cheque” in stints here.
It’s important to note here that if older players satisfy the primary criteria, which are unchanged, they will still be allowed to join Super League, Championship and League 1 clubs as before.
The second change is to recognise players who have represented France at Under 19 level.
It’s also significant to note that players who have taken part in the World Rugby Sevens circuit are now named in the regulations.
Sevens players are mentioned under the primary requirements – the ‘first round’ if you will – of import candidates.
“The RFL will consider the last two complete seasons,” the publicly available document reads.
“For the avoidance of doubt the World Rugby Sevens season currently runs from December to June. Therefore, if an application is made in 2023, before the final tournament has been played, the relevant seasons will be 2021 and 2022. If the application is made after the final tournament has been played, the relevant seasons will be 2022 and 2023.”
