Saving Siam plan

Tuesday 17th May 2011, 2:30PM BST.

Guernsey’s Hannah Lord (centre) sees the ball sprung from her grip in the 20-20 draw between the two sets of island women at St Peter. Jersey, who were represented by the United Banks team, played in green. (Picture by David Ferguson, 1136611)

ALARM bells as to the competitive direction of future Siam Cups have been set off by Saturday’s mis-match at St Peter.

And before Siam day was out, informal discussions between Guernsey and Jersey Rugby Club officials were taking place over what can be done to ensure that the annual clash remains a proper contest where both teams have a reasonable chance of victory.

That is no longer the case admitted Ady Le Page, the former Siam Cup star and now president of the Guernsey Rugby Club.

He described Jersey’s performance as simply awesome and is deeply concerned whether, under the current competition rules, Guernsey can again get near a fiercely ambitious club which have eyes on the Championship, just one tier away from the Premiership.

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1
GM

May 17, 2011 at 5:06 pm

Yes, something needs to be done. All credit to Jersey for advancing so much that this situation has arisen (and let’s not forget that Guernsey have also progressed massively, just not yet to Jersey’s level).

Its an inter-club fixture rather than an inter-island fixture so both clubs can actually pick whoever they like, but that’s where its become a problem for this specific match.

The easy answer is to place a limit on the number of “recent” arrivals who can play in the Siam Cup, so that the game is perhaps limited only to locally-born players plus those who have resided for 270 days (9 months) or more in each of the last 5 years. That eliminates all short-term “seasonal” imports and ensures that only those with a permanent connection to the island would be eligible.

Fantastic though it is to see so many very talented Antipodeans and South Seaa islanders, its no longer really an inter-island fixture as a result and so its lost its “magic”. Its always been accepted that those living and working on the island can play, but we now have players brought to the islands especially to play and coach rugby which is where it has changed.

It does put into perspective just how well Guernsey did to win a couple of times in the past 5 years but sadly it now seems very unlikely to happen again unless the rules change because the gulf is now too big to bridge.

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2
ben

May 18, 2011 at 8:39 am

I agree with GM, Guernsey RFC have had a wonderful season and done the Island proud.

Jersey have progressed so much with seed investment many years ago, their entire system revamped and as a result they are now a superb outfit.

It’s pretty obvious that; to keep the Siam as a viable encounter, there needs to be an ‘amateur’ tag and rule given to the fixture.

I believe that for imported talent (rugby talent) there should be a 18-month rule on the ‘Siam only’, where those arriving on each Island can play for their respective Island in the league but not in the Siam, and each must have full time employment outside of the game.

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3
GM

May 18, 2011 at 10:59 am

ben

Not sure about your last paragraph.
Firstly there can be no restrictions whatsoever regarding the league eligibility as they enter as clubs (not as representative island sides) so they can pick wheover they like for that, including UK residents with no island connection, if they so wish. The only rules to comply with there are the rules of the league itself.

The Siam can have its own eligibility rules but again because its an inter-club fixture rather than an inter-island fixture, the rules need to be agreed between the two clubs. Taking out professionals is a non-brainer, but there are several in Jersey who I think fall partway between, whereby they are semi-professional players, paid mainly as coaches/development officers, but also have a job elsewhere on the island.

I think the easy solution is to limit it to locally-born players plus those who have resided on the relevant island for at least 5 years, and perhaps to allow maybe two others to play who are (a) not semi-professional or full-time professional, and (b) have lived on the island for at least 2 years. That enables someone who has come to the island for the long-term (ie to work) to play after 2 years.

An interesting question – should a locally-born player who is a semi-professional or full-time professional be excluded? I think such a player should be eligible (if one exists). Imported professionals or semi-professionals should be excluded though even if they have been resident for at least 5 years.

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4
ben

May 18, 2011 at 6:57 pm

GM
Exactly that, amateur and local resident to be eligeable to play in the Siam.

Locally born is too restrictive as many children born abroad, and coming into the local schools with their ‘local’ parents, would be excluded.

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5
paul

May 18, 2011 at 9:10 pm

Generally agree with GM although i fail to see why anyone should have the right to play for the island if not locally qualified. How can anyone wish to represent another nation/island other than the one they were born into?

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6
GM

May 18, 2011 at 11:44 pm

Paul
Its very misleading but the Siam Cup is not Guernsey v Jersey – its the Guernsey Rugby Club versus the Jersey Rugby Club. Only players from those particular clubs can be selected, therefore “normal” representative rules go out of the window. If it was Guernsey v Jersey then members of St Jacques could be selected.
Your criteria would be very harsh indeed if you were not born here, arrived here with your parents when you were a few months old and were now 25 and had lived here all your life but weren’t allowed to play for Guernsey! Bona fide long-term residents should certainly be allowed to play.

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