World Rugby vice-chairman Agustin Pichot is to look into the sport's international eligibility rules as part of a wide-ranging report into the sustainability of the game in the Pacific island nations. World Rugby also reaffirmed its commitment to Pacific islands rugby and said it would be supporting the high performance and development programs of the three unions to tune of STG4 million (NZ$8 million) in 2016. Pichot was part of a World Rugby committee that met with the Fiji, Samoa and Tonga unions in Fiji on Tuesday and has been asked to lead a working party to make recommendations to the governing body in October. Admitting his views would be controversial, the 41-year-old former Pumas captain and rugby Hall of Famer said he thought the period was too short. The group will also look at future high performance investment levels, the conduct of agents, player movement regulations, future competition pathways, player release regulations and the conduct of non-union rugby academies.

Source: New Zealand Herald June 14, 2016 05:03 UTC