Irish RFU limits non-Irish players: 6+5 all over again?

The recent well publicised contract negotiations between Munster and South African national BJ Botha regarding an extension to his contract with the province have again focused the spotlight on the Irish Rugby Football Union’s (‘IRFU’) controversial Player Succession Strategy and its potential infringement of both EU and domestic Irish law. This article examines the new strategy from the perspective of Article 45 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (hereinafter “TFEU”)¹ and its likely infringement of the provisions pertaining to it.

Comments (2)

• Tim O'Connor BL

  • 03 May 2013 at 12:48
  • #

  The Zambrano aspect was first covered some two years ago. https://rugbylaw.blogspot.ie/2011/04/kolpak-zambrano-and-players.html
  
  And the NIE aspects were extensively covered in the press and elsewhere over a year ago.
  
  https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/irfu-may-be-forced-into-policy-uturn-26813105.html
  
  https://rugbylaw.blogspot.ie/2012/02/irfu-non-irish-eligible-policy.html
  
  https://www.philiplee.ie/Libraries/Publications/ARE_THE_IRFU_RULES_ON_LIMITING_THE_NUMBER_OF_FOREIGN_PLAYERS_LEGAL.sflb.ashx
  
  (2012) 30 ILT 194

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• Dara Mc Donald

  • 07 October 2013 at 15:39
  • #

  Hi Cormac,
  
  My name is Dara Mc Donald and I am a final year Law and Business student in Trinity College Dublin. I am currently conducting research on the IRFU's Player Succession Strategy from a European Law perspective as part of my dissertation module. Having read your very informative article, I was wondering would it be possible to get in contact with you by email to ask you a few questions? Many thanks. Regards, Dara Mc Donald

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