Six Nations: SRU vows to fight verdict as Steven Shingler is ruled Welsh

THE Scottish Rugby Union last night served notice of its intention to fight a declaration by the International Rugby Board that London Irish centre Steven Shingler is only eligible for Wales and not Scotland.

The matter will now go to the IRB’s regulations committee for a final ruling on the world governing body’s interpretation of its own rules on international eligibility, with a hearing expected to convene within the next week to bring the thorny issue to a swift conclusion.

The 20-year-old was named by Scotland head coach Andy Robinson last week in a 36-man squad for the forthcoming RBS Six Nations. He was unlikely to go straight into the Scotland team to face England in the opening match, but was in line for the Scotland A squad that plays England at Netherdale on the eve of the Calcutta Cup match, which would have ensured he was Scottish-qualified.

Usually, a player who can represent more than one country only nails his colours to the mast when he plays for a nation’s first or second team. Most countries have an A squad of some description, but the controversy has arisen around Shingler because Wales and France do not have A teams.

The Welsh axed their A squad nearly ten years ago to cut costs, as did Scotland before the SRU restored the team in 2006 after a three-year break. France have occasionally brought back their A team but, crucially, last season they had no second-string.

As a result, the IRB asked those countries to designate another second team for eligibility purposes, and both declared their under-20 sides to be the next 15-a-side team below the full Test squad. Shingler turned out for the Wales under-20 on several occasions last year but, when he did so against the French, it qualified him for Wales permanently according to the IRB.

The IRB issued a statement last night that read: “The International Rugby Board has been requested by the Scottish Rugby Union and Welsh Rugby Union to clarify the eligibility status of Steven Shingler.

“Under IRB Regulation 8 a player is tied to a country if he or she has played for the senior national fifteen-a-side national representative team or the next senior national representative team or the senior national representative sevens team against opposition of the same designation. The national under-20 team can be designated as the next senior national team under the regulation.

“It is the right of a union to choose whatever team it wishes to be designated as its next senior national representative team. It is also the sole responsibility of a union to ensure that players selected to play for the teams designated with IRB Regulation 8 are eligible to do so.

“The IRB has reiterated to both unions that, during 2011, both Wales and France officially designated their under-20 team to be the next senior national team. As the IRB has been advised that Shingler represented Wales under-20 against France under-20 in 2011 it would therefore indicate that he is tied to Wales and ineligible to play for any other union.

“The SRU and WRU may wish the IRB regulations committee to consider this matter formally in accordance with IRB Regulation 2. The Unions are aware of the requirements of such a review.”

The Welsh RU are happy with the ruling but a review is exactly the route that their Scottish counterparts now seek. The SRU insist that Shingler was not “captured” by Wales in that under-20 game because he was told by Welsh officials that the match would not tie him, but refused to go into any detail about the case they have submitted to the IRB.

A short statement read: “Scottish Rugby notes the IRB’s statement in respect to Steven Shingler. We remain fully supportive of the player and his sincere desire to represent Scotland and we intend to refer this matter to the IRB’s regulations committee in order that it can consider the case formally in accordance with IRB Regulation 2.”

The case has provoked anger both in Wales and Scotland, and it is known that Shingler is furious with Welsh officials. The player was not available for comment last night, preferring to remain silent until the issue reaches a conclusion, but The Scotsman understands that he went to great lengths when selected for Wales last year to ascertain whether he would become a Welsh player for good.

Shingler was born in Swansea, but his mother, Jeanette Ireland, was born in Dumfries and grew up in Langholm in the Borders, where her family still live.

Shingler spoke enthusiastically last week of his annual visits to the ‘Muckle Toon’, and of his pride in competing in the Langholm Games athletics event. It is understood that as a result of that affinity he was always keen to keep the Scotland door open and was assured by Welsh coaches last spring that that remained the case even with under-20 selection.

It is claimed that when Welsh officials produced a document prior to the French game requesting that he sign his future over to Wales, he refused and again asked whether playing would tie him.

He duly played believing that he was not tied.

The WRU insisted yesterday: “The WRU welcomes the IRB announcement which confirms that proper procedures were followed when informing the 2011 Wales U20 team to play France they would be solely Wales qualified at senior level after taking part in the game.

“It is important that all players informed of their potential senior selection status now or in future are left in no doubt about the authority of the regulations and protocols in place. The case of Steven Shingler being named as an RBS Six Nations Scotland squad player could not be left untested because of the impact on all other players.”

It is undoubtedly a gaffe by the SRU to have named Shingler in a Scotland squad without checking this issue with the WRU and IRB, particularly with the consequences it has for the international career of a player who has publicly sated that he wants to play for Scotland – and therefore by definition, not for Wales.

It remains incongruous that players in Scotland, England, Ireland, Italy and southern hemisphere countries have at least until they reach the age of 20 or 21 before deciding where their national futures lie, whereas in Wales and France they must decide by 19, but there is clearly a need to stamp eligibility on players to avoid losing them to another country, especially in smaller nations open to poaching from rugby’s big fish as has happened frequently with players from the likes of Samoa and Tonga.