Quote: barnsley bill "I do understand what your saying, I do believe that the RFL have got to be more strict with this overseas rule, like you said, you have 10, we have 5, but apparently ours is full I think, I really dont understand it.'"
It is complicated and inconsistent...
There are two quotas.
The original quota is about your passport. You can have 5 players that do not have an EU or Kolpak/Coutonou passport. Until the collapse of Crusaders there were no exemptions or dispensations to this rule. However lots of overseas players were entitled to EU or Kolpak/Coutounou passports... so the [iseperate[/i non-fed quota was introduced.
You can have 5 players who were hot trained by RFL-affiliated clubs, for 3 years, while eligible for under-20s rugby. Where they come from is not relevant - though it is unlikely you'll get many Aussies coming across at 18, a British player who comes late to the sport (eg via Union) would, in theory, be non-fed. Players here at the start of 2008 are exempt from this rule. As are Crusaders squad now. Plus the RFL retains the right to grant discretionary exemptions - eg Rhys Lovegrove and Aaron Heremaia.
Rovers currently have 9 overseas players.
Quota and non-fed - Clinton, Dobson, Green.
Quota only - Webster, Galea. (Both here at start of 2008, so not non-fed)
non-fed only - none... so two spare spots.
other - Vella, Fisher, Newton (EU passports and here at the start of 200icon_cool.gif, Lovegrove - dispensation.
We've announced two further signings of overseas players - O'Hara, who has a Crusaders exemption and Taulapapa who will take one of the spare non-fed spots but presumably has a Coutonou (Samoan) passport.
