ECT apparently is craving some attention again...

Nobody is blaming the players that make the choices. They are simply taking advantage of the rules, and why not? This is their careers after all, and it's a short one at that.

You cannot keep piping on about players like Brough, Harrison, Bridge, Carvell etc. chosing England after playing for Scotland, Ireland and Wales when it has been happening in Australia for FAR longer in regards to Pacific Island nations such as Tongans (Willie Mason, Michael Jennings played for Tonga before Aus), Fijians (Lote Tuquiri played for Fiji before Australia), even New Zealanders (Tonie Carroll). THAT is hypocrisy.

And you cannot keep piping on about Rhys Evans for choosing England over Wales despite not having any English heritage and just because he's been living here when it has been happening in Australia for FAR longer (Petero Civoneciva is Fijian-born, Willie Mason and Karmichael Hunt are NZ-born). THAT is hypocrisy.

The fact that you are now trying to turn this in to a race conversation is showing how much you are struggling to bring up an intelligent argument, so you are now trying to scare people from replying with sensitive subjects. Give it a rest.

As for the Championship England, I think it's a good concept. I think representative rugby is a good thing at as many levels possible, especially if it helps out other developing nations.

We have England (elite), England Knights (reserve), England Lionhearts (RLC), BARLA Lions (NCL), England Students (SRL), Combined Services (Army, Navy, etc.), GB Community Lions (combined amateur), so why not the Championships?

I've said for a while as well that I reckon County of Origin would work well at Championship level. It's based on traditional RL clubs mainly at the moment, so could work quite well especially if there is an end aim of playing for a national select team.

I think they hsould have a GB team until the home nations are competitive. Evans will know that until a competitive team turns out in wales, the only chance he will have to play against the top nations in now with England as their will be no GB.

Its counter-productive to what they want to do becuase top quality players want top quality competition and the only way to do that currently is through England.

With who ? and which players are going to make them ' competitive ' ?

Plus I think everyones getting a little worked up over this evans thing, the guys 18, played 4 games I think, yes he looks like he could be a superb player but to start calling the guy light years before he's ready is a tad premature and reminds me of an eddie/stevo Briers for Britain campaign

So it is the Exiles then

As a few of us said 14 pages ago. How the rest of you thought it would be something different is beyond me

It's great knowing everything!

Interesting to see who'll be coach

Against the Aussies and New Zealand. No appeal to players otherwise.

sorry to use Evans as an example again but it would either be a international career of Wales vs scotland/Ireland or England vs Aussies/Nz. I know which id choose in that respect.

To be fair, in the curtain raiser for the Hull v Leeds CC final he was by far & away the best player on the pitch and looked like he would make it as a top player then, so if he keeps it up the skys the limit really.

Agree about Eddie & Stevo though, the amount of young players they big up all the team is stupid - remember when they said Tyrer was going to be the best centre in English rugby for years to come?

he always turns the subject to one of race...cos thats all he has...it's truly pathetic

So that's a never then ?

And you cannot suggest where these players are going to come from ?

Good argument

Great idea. Why don't we also have 'English players who's names begin with the letter A'? They can play against Ginger England.

alot of championship players opt for wales,scotland & ireland if eligible so having a england championship side would be very damaging to them imo

Didn't stop the 'England Knights'.