A S12 ban for the islands?

The Pacific Islands of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga are desperate for more top flight exposure as they seek ways to inject more income into the cash-strapped Unions.

The Pacific Islanders team that recently played Tests against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa was seen as a positive step forward in this regard, but confirmation that the New Zealand Rugby Union's (NZRU) is reviewing the Super 12 eligibility rules could mean a backward one.

Just last week the Pacific Island Alliance (PIRA) was optimistic that they may field a team in an expanded Super 12 competition next season, but NZRU Deputy Chief Executive Steve Tew revealed to New Zealand's Dominion Post newspaper that Pacific Island players may not even be selected for the current franchises.

Fijians Sireli Bobo, Seru Rabeni, Marika Vunibaka and Aisea Tuilevu, and Samoan Lome Fa'atau all played for New Zealand-based Super 12 teams this season, but Tew told the newspaper that in the future a policy of selecting All Blacks-eligible players only could be on the cards.

"Our strong preference is to have New Zealand-eligible players filling as many contracts as possible," Tew told the newspaper.

It is also understood that New Zealand's provincial Unions are under pressure to develop local players, especially wings, rather than retain their island flyers, which has long been the case.

But Tew said the NZRU's stance on 'outside' players had always been in place, with non-New Zealand players fully aware that they needed to be considerably better than a local player to gain selection.

Critics have always slated New Zealand for the 'theft' of island players - often wrongfully so - in an attempt to beef up their own teams. It has been described, among other things, as the 'rape' of Pacific rugby.

But if the NZRU goes ahead with a ban on Pacific island players from playing in their team, Super 12 or NPC, it will be interesting to see how their critics react.