NPC: Call for overseas rule change
July 23, 2001

A call has gone out to the New Zealand Rugby Football Union to change the rules on loan players in the NPC to help nurture local talent.

Southland coach Leicester Routledge believes that the influx of overseas players in the NPC is preventing local talent from emerging.

With this year's competition due to kick off on August 10 he has called on the rule to be opened up, something the NZRFU is considering.

"I've never been one for promoting overseas players when we've got a huge amount of talent within New Zealand that don't get the opportunity to play NPC because of the four-man loan rule," Rutledge told The Southland Tims. "We've got a huge amount of Southland talent that may be at university in Dunedin and Christchurch that would love to play for Southland."

Southland themselves have named ACT Brumbies' Joel Wilson and hope to have team mate Peter Ryan in their squad if his commitments in Brisbane allow. They also have former Richmond and current Manu Samoa scrum half Earl Va'a and are expected to add another during the competition.

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