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notability subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Popularity_and_notability-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Popularity_and_participation" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Popularity_and_participation"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.1</span> <span>Popularity and participation</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Popularity_and_participation-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Demographics" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Demographics"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.1.1</span> <span>Demographics</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Demographics-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Popularity_of_the_competition" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Popularity_of_the_competition"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.2</span> <span>Popularity of the competition</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Popularity_of_the_competition-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Competitiveness_or_success_of_a_team" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Competitiveness_or_success_of_a_team"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.3</span> <span>Competitiveness or success of a team</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Competitiveness_or_success_of_a_team-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Strength_of_domestic_competition" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Strength_of_domestic_competition"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.4</span> <span>Strength of domestic competition</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Strength_of_domestic_competition-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Individual_selection_and_participation" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Individual_selection_and_participation"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Individual selection and participation</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Individual_selection_and_participation-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Individual selection and participation subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Individual_selection_and_participation-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Eligibility" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Eligibility"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1</span> <span>Eligibility</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Eligibility-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Association_football" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Association_football"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1.1</span> <span>Association football</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Association_football-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Basketball" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Basketball"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1.2</span> <span>Basketball</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Basketball-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Cricket" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Cricket"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1.3</span> <span>Cricket</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Cricket-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Rugby_union" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Rugby_union"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1.4</span> <span>Rugby union</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Rugby_union-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Professionalism_vs._amateurism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Professionalism_vs._amateurism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2</span> <span>Professionalism vs. amateurism</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Professionalism_vs._amateurism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Controversy" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Controversy"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3</span> <span>Controversy</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Controversy-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Footnotes" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Footnotes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Footnotes</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Footnotes-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">National sports team</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 22 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-22" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">22 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%82_%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B6%D9%8A_%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%8A" title="فريق رياضي وطني – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="فريق رياضي وطني" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bn mw-list-item"><a href="https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC_%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%A1%E0%A6%BC%E0%A6%BE_%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%B2" title="জাতীয় ক্রীড়া দল – Bangla" lang="bn" hreflang="bn" data-title="জাতীয় ক্রীড়া দল" data-language-autonym="বাংলা" data-language-local-name="Bangla" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>বাংলা</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landshold" title="Landshold – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Landshold" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalmannschaft" title="Nationalmannschaft – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Nationalmannschaft" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nacia_teamo" title="Nacia teamo – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="Nacia teamo" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AA%DB%8C%D9%85_%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%B2%D8%B4%DB%8C_%D9%85%D9%84%DB%8C" title="تیم ورزشی ملی – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="تیم ورزشی ملی" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EA%B5%AD%EA%B0%80%EB%8C%80%ED%91%9C%ED%8C%80" title="국가대표팀 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="국가대표팀" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hr mw-list-item"><a href="https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nacionalna_%C5%A1portska_reprezentacija" title="Nacionalna športska reprezentacija – Croatian" lang="hr" hreflang="hr" data-title="Nacionalna športska reprezentacija" data-language-autonym="Hrvatski" data-language-local-name="Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Hrvatski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-is mw-list-item"><a href="https://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landsli%C3%B0" title="Landslið – Icelandic" lang="is" hreflang="is" data-title="Landslið" data-language-autonym="Íslenska" data-language-local-name="Icelandic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Íslenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A0%D7%91%D7%97%D7%A8%D7%AA_%D7%9C%D7%90%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%AA" title="נבחרת לאומית – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="נבחרת לאומית" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sw mw-list-item"><a href="https://sw.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timu_ya_taifa" title="Timu ya taifa – Swahili" lang="sw" hreflang="sw" data-title="Timu ya taifa" data-language-autonym="Kiswahili" data-language-local-name="Swahili" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Kiswahili</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-arz mw-list-item"><a href="https://arz.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%82_%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B6%D9%89_%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%89" title="فريق رياضى وطنى – Egyptian Arabic" lang="arz" hreflang="arz" data-title="فريق رياضى وطنى" data-language-autonym="مصرى" data-language-local-name="Egyptian Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>مصرى</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%8A%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A7%E3%83%8A%E3%83%AB%E3%83%81%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0" title="ナショナルチーム – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="ナショナルチーム" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landslag" title="Landslag – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Landslag" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk bokmål</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_sports_team" title="National sports team – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="National sports team" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sl mw-list-item"><a href="https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr%C5%BEavna_reprezentanca" title="Državna reprezentanca – Slovenian" lang="sl" hreflang="sl" data-title="Državna reprezentanca" data-language-autonym="Slovenščina" data-language-local-name="Slovenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenščina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maajoukkue" title="Maajoukkue – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Maajoukkue" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landslag_(sport)" title="Landslag (sport) – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="Landslag (sport)" data-language-autonym="Svenska" data-language-local-name="Swedish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Svenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mill%C3%AE_spor_tak%C4%B1m%C4%B1" title="Millî spor takımı – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Millî spor takımı" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9D%D0%B0%D1%86%D1%96%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%B7%D0%B1%D1%96%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B0" title="Національна збірна команда – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Національна збірна команда" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-vi mw-list-item"><a href="https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%90%E1%BB%99i_tuy%E1%BB%83n_th%E1%BB%83_thao_qu%E1%BB%91c_gia" title="Đội tuyển thể thao quốc gia – Vietnamese" lang="vi" hreflang="vi" data-title="Đội tuyển thể thao quốc gia" data-language-autonym="Tiếng Việt" data-language-local-name="Vietnamese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Tiếng Việt</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9C%8B%E5%AE%B6%E9%AB%94%E8%82%B2%E9%9A%8A" title="國家體育隊 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="國家體育隊" data-language-autonym="中文" data-language-local-name="Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>中文</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit wb-langlinks-link"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q1194951#sitelinks-wikipedia" title="Edit interlanguage links" class="wbc-editpage">Edit links</a></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div 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searchaux" style="display:none">Team that represents a nation in a sport</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1251242444">.mw-parser-output .ambox{border:1px solid #a2a9b1;border-left:10px solid #36c;background-color:#fbfbfb;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+link+.ambox{margin-top:-1px}html body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .ambox.mbox-small-left{margin:4px 1em 4px 0;overflow:hidden;width:238px;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em}.mw-parser-output .ambox-speedy{border-left:10px solid #b32424;background-color:#fee7e6}.mw-parser-output .ambox-delete{border-left:10px solid #b32424}.mw-parser-output .ambox-content{border-left:10px solid #f28500}.mw-parser-output .ambox-style{border-left:10px solid #fc3}.mw-parser-output .ambox-move{border-left:10px solid #9932cc}.mw-parser-output .ambox-protection{border-left:10px solid #a2a9b1}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-text{border:none;padding:0.25em 0.5em;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image{border:none;padding:2px 0 2px 0.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-imageright{border:none;padding:2px 0.5em 2px 0;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-empty-cell{border:none;padding:0;width:1px}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image-div{width:52px}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ambox{margin:0 10%}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .ambox{display:none!important}}</style><table class="box-More_citations_needed plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Refimprove" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Question_book-new.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/50px-Question_book-new.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="39" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/75px-Question_book-new.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/100px-Question_book-new.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="399" /></a></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This article <b>needs additional citations for <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">verification</a></b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please help <a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/National_sports_team" title="Special:EditPage/National sports team">improve this article</a> by <a href="/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners" title="Help:Referencing for beginners">adding citations to reliable sources</a>. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.<br /><small><span class="plainlinks"><i>Find sources:</i> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?as_eq=wikipedia&q=%22National+sports+team%22">"National sports team"</a> – <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbm=nws&q=%22National+sports+team%22+-wikipedia&tbs=ar:1">news</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?&q=%22National+sports+team%22&tbs=bkt:s&tbm=bks">newspapers</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbs=bks:1&q=%22National+sports+team%22+-wikipedia">books</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22National+sports+team%22">scholar</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=%22National+sports+team%22&acc=on&wc=on">JSTOR</a></span></small></span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">September 2014</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>A <b>national sports team</b> (commonly known as a <b>national team</b> or a <b>national side</b>) is a <a href="/wiki/Team" title="Team">team</a> that represents a <a href="/wiki/Nation" title="Nation">nation</a>, rather than a particular <a href="/wiki/Sports_club" title="Sports club">club</a> or region, in an <a href="/wiki/International_sport" title="International sport">international sport</a>. </p><p>The term is most commonly associated with <a href="/wiki/Team_sport" title="Team sport">team sports</a>, for example <a href="/wiki/Association_football" title="Association football">association football (soccer)</a>, <a href="/wiki/Curling" title="Curling">curling</a>, or <a href="/wiki/Basketball" title="Basketball">basketball</a>. However, it can be applied to groups of individuals representing a country where regular play is done by individuals, and individual scores are aggregated to a get a team result. Examples of this association are found in <a href="/wiki/Artistic_gymnastics" title="Artistic gymnastics">artistic gymnastics</a>, <a href="/wiki/Archery" title="Archery">archery</a>, or <a href="/wiki/Figure_Skating" class="mw-redirect" title="Figure Skating">figure Skating</a>. </p><p>National teams often compete at various levels and age groups, and have a number of different selection criteria based on national and their respective federations' rules. National teams are not always composed of the best available individual players. </p><p>National teams, like other sporting teams, are often grouped by sex, age or other criteria. The most prestigious national teams are often the senior men's and women's teams. However, they may not be the most popular or successful.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In most cases, a national sports team represents a single <a href="/wiki/Sovereign_state" title="Sovereign state">sovereign state</a>, though there are some exceptions to the rule. In several sports, the <a href="/wiki/British_Isles" title="British Isles">British Isles</a> divides along internal boundaries: <a href="/wiki/England" title="England">England</a>, <a href="/wiki/Northern_Ireland" title="Northern Ireland">Northern Ireland</a>, <a href="/wiki/Scotland" title="Scotland">Scotland</a> and <a href="/wiki/Wales" title="Wales">Wales</a> are represented by separate national teams, while in the <a href="/wiki/Olympic_Games" title="Olympic Games">Olympic Games</a> they combine to form a <a href="/wiki/Great_Britain_at_the_Olympics" title="Great Britain at the Olympics">Great Britain</a> team.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The <a href="/wiki/Ireland_national_rugby_union_team" title="Ireland national rugby union team">Ireland national rugby union team</a> represents the <a href="/wiki/Republic_of_Ireland" title="Republic of Ireland">Republic of Ireland</a> and Northern Ireland in rugby union, and all-island teams are fielded in a number of other sports. Some Olympic teams represent <a href="/wiki/Dependent_territory" title="Dependent territory">dependent territories</a>, including <a href="/wiki/Bermuda_at_the_Olympics" title="Bermuda at the Olympics">Bermuda</a>, the <a href="/wiki/British_Virgin_Islands_at_the_Olympics" title="British Virgin Islands at the Olympics">British Virgin Islands</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Cook_Islands_at_the_Olympics" title="Cook Islands at the Olympics">Cook Islands</a>. The Iroquois Nationals (men) and Haudenosaunee Nationals (women) lacrosse teams of the <a href="/wiki/First_Nations_Lacrosse_Association" title="First Nations Lacrosse Association">First Nations Lacrosse Association</a> are the only teams representing any group of <a href="/wiki/Indigenous_people_of_the_Americas" class="mw-redirect" title="Indigenous people of the Americas">Indigenous people of the Americas</a> that plays in an international level.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Popularity_and_notability">Popularity and notability</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=National_sports_team&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Popularity and notability"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The popularity and notability of a national team depend on a number of factors: </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Popularity_and_participation">Popularity and participation</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=National_sports_team&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Popularity and participation"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Popularity of a national team also depends on the popularity of the sport in that country. In some countries a particular sport is very popular and may be a <a href="/wiki/National_sport" title="National sport">national sport</a> but it does not always mean their national team is the most popular.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Also, the national team's own league may be popular but the international competition it competes in is not. For example, the <a href="/wiki/Papua_New_Guinea_national_rugby_league_team" title="Papua New Guinea national rugby league team">Papua New Guinea national rugby league team</a> (PNGL) is extremely popular because the sport is popular in the country, even though the highest competition it competes in - the <a href="/wiki/Rugby_League_World_Cup" title="Rugby League World Cup">Rugby League World Cup</a> - is not.<sup id="cite_ref-:1_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:1-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In this case, there are numerous reasons for the lack of popularity of the World cup in <a href="/wiki/Papua_New_Guinea" title="Papua New Guinea">Papua New Guinea</a>. One is that the country is relatively small, population 8 million, and the expense of travel around the world to follow their team is too great for most.<sup id="cite_ref-:1_5-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:1-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Another reason is that, because 75% of the professionals in the PNGL are not national citizens and therefore only eligible to play for their home country's national team, the <a href="/wiki/Papua_New_Guinea_national_rugby_league_team" title="Papua New Guinea national rugby league team">Papua New Guinea National Team</a> is not as successful internationally.<sup id="cite_ref-WR_Reg_8_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-WR_Reg_8-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Therefore, because the national league is inner territorial and more accessible to residents of Papua New Guinea and because spectators feel more invested and closer to their national town clubs, explains why a country's national sport's National Team may not be the most popular team in said area.<sup id="cite_ref-:1_5-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:1-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The exact opposite may be true as well where the national team is more popular than its respective league. For example, the <a href="/wiki/Korea_Handball_Federation" title="Korea Handball Federation">Korean National Handball League</a> is not extremely popular because handball is not a popular sport in Korea. But the <a href="/wiki/South_Korea_men%27s_national_handball_team" title="South Korea men's national handball team">South Korean National Team</a> is popular because it internationally wins medals in the <a href="/wiki/Olympic_Games" title="Olympic Games">Olympics</a> or <a href="/wiki/Handball_International_Championships,_2007" title="Handball International Championships, 2007">World Cup Events</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Demographics">Demographics</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=National_sports_team&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Demographics"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>A particular sport in a country may be more popular among certain groups. For example, a women's team may be more popular than a men's team if there is a greater participation in the sport. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Popularity_of_the_competition">Popularity of the competition</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=National_sports_team&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Popularity of the competition"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The popularity of the international competition that a team participates in has the biggest influence on the popularity of national sports team. There is a certain amount of prestige which is associated with competing on the "world stage". </p><p>Competitions with the most teams involved offer the most international competition and are often most popular. The most popular multi-sport international competitions that include team sports include the <a href="/wiki/Olympic_Games" title="Olympic Games">Olympic Games</a>, <a href="/wiki/Asian_Games" title="Asian Games">Asian Games</a> are relatively open for participation. Other competitions that are specific to sports, such as the <a href="/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup" title="FIFA World Cup">FIFA World Cup</a> (<a href="/wiki/Association_football" title="Association football">Association football</a>), <a href="/wiki/Rugby_World_Cup" title="Rugby World Cup">Rugby World Cup</a> (rugby union) and <a href="/wiki/Cricket_World_Cup" title="Cricket World Cup">Cricket World Cup</a> (<a href="/wiki/Cricket" title="Cricket">cricket</a>) allow many countries to qualify. For instance, the popularity of the <a href="/wiki/Australia_men%27s_national_soccer_team" title="Australia men's national soccer team">Socceroos</a> is heightened during the FIFA World Cup simply due to participation in a global event. </p><p>However, how even the competition is also matters. Even if there are a large number of participants, if a handful of teams dominate or if many of the teams are from countries where the sport lack sufficient depth to field a quality side, then the overall competition will not be taken seriously. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Competitiveness_or_success_of_a_team">Competitiveness or success of a team</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=National_sports_team&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Competitiveness or success of a team"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The popularity of a national team can also be due to a team being successful even if the sport itself is not popular in a country. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Strength_of_domestic_competition">Strength of domestic competition</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=National_sports_team&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Strength of domestic competition"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In many countries, the national team is the highest level of play available and as a result, it is often most popular with fans and spectators from that country. </p><p>In other countries, domestic competitions may be more competitive and offer a higher standard of play and reward. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Individual_selection_and_participation">Individual selection and participation</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=National_sports_team&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Individual selection and participation"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Depending on the sport, nation, and era in question, membership on the national team may be earned through individual play (as is the case for an <a href="/wiki/Olympic_Games" title="Olympic Games">Olympic</a> athletics team or a <a href="/wiki/Davis_Cup" title="Davis Cup">Davis Cup</a> team), players may be selected by a managers and coaches appointed by a <a href="/wiki/Sport_governing_body" class="mw-redirect" title="Sport governing body">national sport association</a>, or a team may have to win a national championship in order to receive the right to represent their nation (as in the <a href="/wiki/World_Curling_Championships" title="World Curling Championships">World Curling Championships</a>). </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Eligibility">Eligibility</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=National_sports_team&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Eligibility"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Various rules are used to determine who is eligible to play for which national team. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Association_football"><a href="/wiki/Association_football" title="Association football">Association football</a></h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=National_sports_team&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Association football"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/FIFA_eligibility_rules" title="FIFA eligibility rules">FIFA eligibility rules</a></div> <p>Under <a href="/wiki/FIFA" title="FIFA">FIFA</a> regulations, a player primarily qualifies for a national team by "holding a permanent nationality that is not dependent on residence in a certain country"—i.e., being a passport-carrying citizen of said country.<sup id="cite_ref-FIFA_Reg_III_5.1_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FIFA_Reg_III_5.1-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>If a player's single nationality enables him or her to play for more than one FIFA member, any of the following will be sufficient to establish eligibility for a specific association under that nationality:<sup id="cite_ref-FIFA_Reg_III_6_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FIFA_Reg_III_6-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <ol><li>Birth "on the territory governed by the relevant association."</li> <li>The birth of a biological parent or <a href="/wiki/Grandfather_rule" title="Grandfather rule">grandparent</a> in said territory.</li> <li>Two years of continuous residence in said territory at the time of their first appearance.</li></ol> <p>However, FIFA allows associations that share a common nationality to make an agreement among themselves, subject to FIFA approval, by which the residency criterion is deleted completely or amended to require a longer time limit.<sup id="cite_ref-FIFA_Reg_III_6_9-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FIFA_Reg_III_6-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The most notable example of this situation is the <a href="/wiki/United_Kingdom" title="United Kingdom">United Kingdom</a>, which has four national associations on its territory (<a href="/wiki/The_Football_Association" title="The Football Association">England</a>, <a href="/wiki/Irish_Football_Association" title="Irish Football Association">Northern Ireland</a>, <a href="/wiki/Scottish_Football_Association" title="Scottish Football Association">Scotland</a>, <a href="/wiki/Football_Association_of_Wales" title="Football Association of Wales">Wales</a>). </p><p>Players become permanently tied to a national association, with one exception to be outlined below, once they play in "an official competition of any category or any type of football". This includes any competition for national teams governed by FIFA, including qualifying matches for said competitions; <a href="/wiki/Friendly_match" class="mw-redirect" title="Friendly match">international friendlies</a> cannot tie players to a country under any circumstances.<sup id="cite_ref-FIFA_Reg_III_5.1_8-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FIFA_Reg_III_5.1-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Players who have more than one nationality, regardless of the method of acquisition, have slightly different eligibility requirements from those who have a single nationality, whether or not it is shared by multiple associations. In addition to holding the relevant nationality, any of the following will qualify a player to appear for said country:<sup id="cite_ref-FIFA_Reg_III_7_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FIFA_Reg_III_7-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Johnson_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Johnson-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <ol><li>Birth in that country.</li> <li>Birth of a biological parent or grandparent in that country.</li> <li>Five years of residence in that country after turning age 18.</li></ol> <p>This last rule is intended to prevent associations from naturalising players who lack birth or familial ties in that country, and immediately fielding them in international matches. FIFA will issue waivers to this last requirement if an association can show to FIFA's satisfaction that the player had significant ties to that country prior to naturalisation. A recent example of such a waiver is that of <a href="/wiki/Gedion_Zelalem" title="Gedion Zelalem">Gedion Zelalem</a>, a German-born player of Ethiopian descent who has represented the U.S. at under-23 level. He emigrated with his father to the U.S. at age 9 in 2006, and left the country at age 16 to join <a href="/wiki/Arsenal_F.C." title="Arsenal F.C.">Arsenal's</a> youth academy. In 2014, he automatically became a U.S. citizen <a href="/wiki/Child_Citizenship_Act_of_2000" title="Child Citizenship Act of 2000">outside the normal naturalisation process</a> when his father became a U.S. citizen, and the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Soccer_Federation" title="United States Soccer Federation">United States Soccer Federation</a> applied for a waiver of the adult residency requirement, citing Zelalem's extended childhood residence in the U.S.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> He was approved to play for the U.S. several months later.<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Separate from the above rules, a player who holds multiple nationalities may petition FIFA for a one-time change of nationality if they have never appeared in an official <i>senior</i> international match for any country, and holds the nationality of the second country prior to appearing for said country.<sup id="cite_ref-FIFA_Reg_III_8_14-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FIFA_Reg_III_8-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The aforementioned Zelalem case falls within the scope of these rules, since he had played for Germany at youth level. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Basketball"><a href="/wiki/Basketball" title="Basketball">Basketball</a></h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=National_sports_team&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Basketball"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/FIBA_eligibility_rules" title="FIBA eligibility rules">FIBA eligibility rules</a></div> <p><a href="/wiki/FIBA" title="FIBA">FIBA</a>'s national team eligibility rules are broadly similar to those of FIFA. Holding nationality is mandatory (but not sufficient) for eligibility to represent a country.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Players with multiple nationalities may choose to play for one of those countries at any age by making a written request to FIBA. However, if the player has yet to make a choice and one of those countries formally calls the player to international duty after they reach age 18, that player is required to make a choice at that time.<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> As in association football, playing in an international friendly cannot tie a player to any country; only participation in an official FIBA competition is sufficient for this purpose.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Unlike association football, FIBA does not have a "grandparent rule" for most players. The method by which a player obtains citizenship is irrelevant to national team eligibility, as long as it has been legally acquired. The only use of the grandparent rule is to determine a player's eligibility to represent the national team of a country's dependent territory, with two notable examples being those of <a href="/wiki/Puerto_Rico" title="Puerto Rico">Puerto Rico</a> and the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Virgin_Islands" title="United States Virgin Islands">US Virgin Islands</a>, both <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">US</a> <a href="/wiki/Insular_area" title="Insular area">insular areas</a> with their own national federations, and whose native-born residents are US citizens by birth.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>While the method by which a player becomes a citizen does not affect their eligibility for a national team, it can affect the player's ability to participate in a given FIBA competition. FIBA mandates that in official competitions, no national team can have more than one player on its roster who acquired citizenship by any means after reaching age 16. This also applies to individuals who had the right to a second nationality at birth (such as individuals born in <a href="/wiki/Northern_Ireland" title="Northern Ireland">Northern Ireland</a>, who are generally born with <a href="/wiki/British_nationality_law" title="British nationality law">UK citizenship</a> but also <a href="/wiki/Irish_nationality_law" title="Irish nationality law">have the right</a> to citizenship in the <a href="/wiki/Republic_of_Ireland" title="Republic of Ireland">Republic of Ireland</a> from birth), but did not exercise that right until age 16 or later.<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Cricket"><a href="/wiki/Cricket" title="Cricket">Cricket</a></h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=National_sports_team&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Cricket"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The eligibility rules of the <a href="/wiki/International_Cricket_Council" title="International Cricket Council">International Cricket Council</a> provide three qualifying criteria for prospective national team players,<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>a<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> all linked to the country governed by a specific national federation:<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <ol><li>Birth.</li> <li>Nationality, defined as holding a valid passport.</li> <li>Three years of permanent residence.</li></ol> <p>Players can only be tied to a given national team by being named to that country's squad, either in the first XI or as a substitute (playing or non-playing), in an official ICC match—defined as a <a href="/wiki/Test_cricket" title="Test cricket">Test</a>, <a href="/wiki/One_Day_International" title="One Day International">ODI</a>, or <a href="/wiki/Twenty20" title="Twenty20">Twenty20</a> match that involves a national federation's senior side. Playing at under-19 level, or for a senior developmental team, does not bind an individual to that country.<sup id="cite_ref-ICC_2.2_22-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ICC_2.2-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Unlike many sports, which make changes of nationality difficult or impossible, cricket allows players to represent more than one country during their careers. However, a player is limited to representing two countries in their lifetime, and a three-year stand-down period is enforced—unless the player who has previously represented an ICC associate member is seeking to play for an ICC full member (i.e., a Test-playing nation), in which case there is no stand-down period. The player may represent their original country after representing the second country, but only after the full three-year stand-down period.<sup id="cite_ref-ICC_2.2_22-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ICC_2.2-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Rugby_union"><a href="/wiki/Rugby_union" title="Rugby union">Rugby union</a></h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=National_sports_team&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Rugby union"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Unlike the situation in association football and basketball, in which holding nationality in a country is a requirement for representing that country, or cricket, in which nationality is one of several means by which a player can qualify for a national team, eligibility regulations in rugby union do not mention nationality at all. Players can qualify for a given country in one of four ways:<sup id="cite_ref-WR_Reg_8_6-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-WR_Reg_8-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <ol><li>Birth in the country.</li> <li>Having a parent or grandparent born in that country. Note that unlike FIFA, which defines "parent" and "grandparent" to include only blood relations, World Rugby replaces blood relations with adoptive relations if the player has been legally adopted under the laws of the relevant country. This replacement also applies if the player was not adopted, but one or both of the birth parents had been adopted.<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Residing in the country for a set period of time prior to their first appearance for that country. The required period was most recently expanded from three years to five years effective 31 December 2020. The five-year rule affects players who moved to a new country after 31 December 2017 and cannot qualify by another method.</li> <li>Completion of 10 years of cumulative residency in the country, regardless of whether any of the other criteria have been met. This particular criterion went into effect in May 2017.<sup id="cite_ref-Rugby_World_24-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rugby_World-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ol> <p>This does not prevent a national union from requiring that its representative players hold that country's nationality. For example, since December 2016, the <a href="/wiki/French_Rugby_Federation" title="French Rugby Federation">French Rugby Federation</a> has required French nationality as a precondition for national team selection, with players who had represented France before the policy change exempt from said requirement.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Through 2021, if a player has ever played for one national team then they may not play for the team of a different nation at same or at the next-higher level of seniority. However, the addition of rugby sevens to the <a href="/wiki/Rugby_sevens_at_the_Summer_Olympics" title="Rugby sevens at the Summer Olympics">Olympics</a> created a loophole due to the <a href="/wiki/International_Olympic_Committee" title="International Olympic Committee">IOC's</a> different eligibility criteria. Players who had been "captured" by one country but held the passport of another country could make a one-time change of allegiance to the second country under the following conditions:<sup id="cite_ref-Rugby_World_24-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rugby_World-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <ul><li>The player had not represented the capturing country for three years at the time of their first appearance for the second country. Special rules in place only for the 2016 Olympic qualifying process shortened this period to 18 months.</li> <li>The player represented their new country in four Olympic qualifying events. This included events in the <a href="/wiki/World_Rugby_Sevens_Series" class="mw-redirect" title="World Rugby Sevens Series">World Rugby Sevens Series</a> for men and <a href="/wiki/World_Rugby_Women%27s_Sevens_Series" class="mw-redirect" title="World Rugby Women's Sevens Series">World Rugby Women's Sevens Series</a> in seasons immediately preceding the Summer Olympics, which double as Olympic qualifiers, plus regional Olympic qualifying tournaments.</li></ul> <p>Effective 1 January 2022, a change to the World Rugby eligibility rules will allow a one-time change of nationality for captured players that applies to both 15s and sevens, replacing the former provisions regarding change of nationality for Olympic sevens. Features of the new rules are:<sup id="cite_ref-2022Reg8_26-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2022Reg8-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <ul><li>A 36-month "stand-down" period from any international rugby is enforced.</li> <li>The player must have a birthright connection to the new country—either by the player's own birth, or that of a parent or grandparent. (The rule that replaces biological parents with adoptive parents remains in force.)</li> <li>Also, the change of nationality must be approved by World Rugby.</li></ul> <p>As for the concept of "capturing"—i.e., being tied to a specific country—the criteria have evolved over the years. Under current World Rugby regulations, a player is captured once they play for one of three specific teams:<sup id="cite_ref-WR_Reg_8_6-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-WR_Reg_8-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Rugby_World_24-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rugby_World-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <ol><li>A union's 15-a-side senior national team.</li> <li>A union's "next senior" 15-a-side national team. Each union may, but is not required to, designate one of its teams as the "next senior" team. This side is usually designated as an "A" national team, though a number of nations have special brand names for their "next senior" side, such as <a href="/wiki/Argentina_XV_national_rugby_union_team" title="Argentina XV national rugby union team">Argentina XV</a>, <a href="/wiki/England_Saxons" class="mw-redirect" title="England Saxons">England Saxons</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ireland_Wolfhounds" title="Ireland Wolfhounds">Ireland Wolfhounds</a>, or <a href="/wiki/Junior_All_Blacks" class="mw-redirect" title="Junior All Blacks">Junior All Blacks</a> (New Zealand). Notably, many unions have not designated a "next senior" women's team. Prior to 1 January 2018, a union could designate its under-20 national side as its "next senior" team, but this is no longer allowed.</li> <li>A union's senior national sevens team. No player can be captured by playing on a senior sevens team before turning 18 under any circumstances; before 2022, capture in this manner prior to age 20 was impossible unless the player participated in the Olympics or Rugby World Cup Sevens after turning 18.</li></ol> <p>Starting in 2022, players will be captured if they are members of any of the country's aforementioned sides after turning 18.<sup id="cite_ref-2022Reg8_26-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2022Reg8-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Note that unlike association football or basketball, players can be captured by appearing in international friendlies, such as the traditional mid-year and end-of-year Tests. </p><p>However, capture only occurs <i>when the opponent is also one of the above-mentioned sides</i>. This can sometimes cause apparently counterintuitive results. For example, <a href="/wiki/Mike_Haley_(rugby_union)" title="Mike Haley (rugby union)">Mike Haley</a> has represented England twice—first for England Saxons against <a href="/wiki/South_Africa_A_national_rugby_union_team" title="South Africa A national rugby union team">South Africa A</a> in 2016, and then for a non-capped England XV against the <a href="/wiki/Barbarian_F.C." title="Barbarian F.C.">Barbarians</a> in 2017. However, neither match tied him to England, and he has remained eligible for selection to <a href="/wiki/Ireland_national_rugby_union_team" title="Ireland national rugby union team">Ireland</a>, for which he qualified by ancestry. Even though the 2016 match involved two national "A" sides, it did not qualify to capture Haley (or any other player on either team who had not previously been captured) because at the time, <a href="/wiki/South_African_Rugby_Union" title="South African Rugby Union">South Africa's</a> designated "next senior" side was <a href="/wiki/South_Africa_national_under-20_rugby_union_team" title="South Africa national under-20 rugby union team">its U-20 national team</a>. As for the 2017 match, WR classifies the Barbarians as a club team, putting them outside the scope of this regulation.<sup id="cite_ref-Rugby_World_24-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rugby_World-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Various controversies have involved the participation of players whose eligibility has been challenged. One famous example was <a href="/wiki/Grannygate" title="Grannygate">Grannygate</a>. More recently, questions have been raised about the eligibility of two players who participated in the European qualifying process for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, one for Belgium and the other for Romania.<sup id="cite_ref-Rugby_World_24-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rugby_World-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Professionalism_vs._amateurism">Professionalism vs. amateurism</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=National_sports_team&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Professionalism vs. amateurism"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In some national teams, representatives play for the love of their sport and country. However, in others, individual players are paid to represent their country. </p><p>In some cases, players are either deliberately excluded or choose not to represent their national team on the basis of not being remunerated. This can affect the relative performance of a team. </p><p>In other cases, players may be contracted to a club, at home or abroad. As a result, their primary loyalty may be to their club rather than their country, especially if the competition that the national team is playing in does not offer the same prestige. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Controversy">Controversy</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=National_sports_team&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: Controversy"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Olympic_Games#Amateurism_and_professionalism" title="Olympic Games">Olympic Games § Amateurism and professionalism</a></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Communist" class="mw-redirect" title="Communist">Communist</a> countries were accused of having an advantage by having state-sponsored "full-time amateurs" because of their economic system. Their Olympic athletes were given everything they needed to live prosperously and train, but were not technically paid to do it because it was sponsored by the state. With the decline and fall of the <a href="/wiki/Soviet_Union" title="Soviet Union">Soviet Union</a> and its influence, Western countries demanded to allow professionals to compete at the Olympics and the current status quo came into order.<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-cia.gov_28-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-cia.gov-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-30"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=National_sports_team&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239009302">.mw-parser-output .portalbox{padding:0;margin:0.5em 0;display:table;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:175px;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .portalborder{border:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);padding:0.1em;background:var(--background-color-neutral-subtle,#f8f9fa)}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-entry{display:table-row;font-size:85%;line-height:110%;height:1.9em;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-image{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-link{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em 0.2em 0.2em 0.3em;vertical-align:middle}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .portalleft{clear:left;float:left;margin:0.5em 1em 0.5em 0}.mw-parser-output .portalright{clear:right;float:right;margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1em}}</style><ul role="navigation" aria-label="Portals" class="noprint portalbox portalborder portalright"> <li class="portalbox-entry"><span class="portalbox-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Sports_icon.png/31px-Sports_icon.png" decoding="async" width="31" height="28" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Sports_icon.png/47px-Sports_icon.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Sports_icon.png/62px-Sports_icon.png 2x" data-file-width="251" data-file-height="226" /></span></span></span><span class="portalbox-link"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Sports" title="Portal:Sports">Sports portal</a></span></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/International_cricket" title="International cricket">International cricket</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Test_match_(rugby_union)" title="Test match (rugby union)">Test match (rugby union)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Test_match_(rugby_league)" title="Test match (rugby league)">Test match (rugby league)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Test_match_(netball)" title="Test match (netball)">Test match (netball)</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Footnotes">Footnotes</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=National_sports_team&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: Footnotes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-lower-alpha"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-20">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">In the context of cricket, "national team" includes teams such as the <a href="/wiki/West_Indies_cricket_team" title="West Indies cricket team">West Indies cricket team</a>, which encompasses several countries and territories in the <a href="/wiki/Commonwealth_Caribbean" title="Commonwealth Caribbean">English-speaking Caribbean</a>.</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=National_sports_team&action=edit&section=17" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239543626"><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-:0-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:0_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:0_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-are-the-most-popular-sports-in-the-world.html">"The Most Popular Sports in the World"</a>. <i>WorldAtlas</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180817161238/https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-are-the-most-popular-sports-in-the-world.html">Archived</a> from the original on 2018-08-17<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2019-07-12</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=WorldAtlas&rft.atitle=The+Most+Popular+Sports+in+the+World&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldatlas.com%2Farticles%2Fwhat-are-the-most-popular-sports-in-the-world.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/guides/zsqsgk7/revision/1">"KS3 History - BBC Bitesize"</a>. <i>www.bbc.com</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190712060302/https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/guides/zsqsgk7/revision/1">Archived</a> from the original on 2019-07-12<span class="reference-accessdate">. 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Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2019-07-11</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Iroquois+Nationals+Lacrosse&rft.atitle=A+History+of+Iroquois+Nationals+Lacrosse&rft.date=2014-07-04&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Firoquoisnationals.org%2Fthe-iroquois%2Fa-history-of-iroquois-nationals-lacrosse%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/professional-team-sports">"Professional Team Sports | Encyclopedia.com"</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190813180422/https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/professional-team-sports">Archived</a> from the original on 2019-08-13<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2019-08-13</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Professional+Team+Sports+%7C+Encyclopedia.com&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.encyclopedia.com%2Fsports%2Fnews-wires-white-papers-and-books%2Fprofessional-team-sports&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-:1-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:1_5-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:1_5-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:1_5-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/harnessing-papua-new-guinea-s-rugby-league-obsession">"Harnessing Papua New Guinea's rugby league obsession"</a>. <i>www.lowyinstitute.org</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190712172232/https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/harnessing-papua-new-guinea-s-rugby-league-obsession">Archived</a> from the original on 2019-07-12<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2019-07-12</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.lowyinstitute.org&rft.atitle=Harnessing+Papua+New+Guinea%27s+rugby+league+obsession&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lowyinstitute.org%2Fthe-interpreter%2Fharnessing-papua-new-guinea-s-rugby-league-obsession&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-WR_Reg_8-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-WR_Reg_8_6-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-WR_Reg_8_6-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-WR_Reg_8_6-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.worldrugby.org/handbook/regulations/reg-8/reg-8">"Regulation 8. Eligibility to play for national representative teams"</a>. World Rugby. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180507221836/https://www.worldrugby.org/handbook/regulations/reg-8/reg-8">Archived</a> from the original on 7 May 2018<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">7 May</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Regulation+8.+Eligibility+to+play+for+national+representative+teams&rft.pub=World+Rugby&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldrugby.org%2Fhandbook%2Fregulations%2Freg-8%2Freg-8&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation news cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-korea-movie-handball-idUSSEO10310020080130">"Stardom at last for Korea's desperate handball housewives"</a>. <i>Reuters</i>. 2008-01-30. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190712172221/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-korea-movie-handball-idUSSEO10310020080130">Archived</a> from the original on 2019-07-12<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2019-07-12</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Reuters&rft.atitle=Stardom+at+last+for+Korea%27s+desperate+handball+housewives&rft.date=2008-01-30&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-korea-movie-handball-idUSSEO10310020080130&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FIFA_Reg_III_5.1-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FIFA_Reg_III_5.1_8-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FIFA_Reg_III_5.1_8-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">"Regulation III, Article 5: Principle". <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160509164416/http://resources.fifa.com/mm/Document/AFFederation/Generic/02/78/29/07/FIFAStatutswebEN_Neutral.pdf"><i>FIFA Statutes</i></a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. FIFA. April 2016. p. 70. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://resources.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/generic/02/78/29/07/fifastatutsweben_neutral.pdf">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on May 9, 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">7 May</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Regulation+III%2C+Article+5%3A+Principle&rft.btitle=FIFA+Statutes&rft.pages=70&rft.pub=FIFA&rft.date=2016-04&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fresources.fifa.com%2Fmm%2Fdocument%2Faffederation%2Fgeneric%2F02%2F78%2F29%2F07%2Ffifastatutsweben_neutral.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FIFA_Reg_III_6-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FIFA_Reg_III_6_9-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FIFA_Reg_III_6_9-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">"Regulation III, Article 6: Nationality entitling players to represent more than one association". <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160509164416/http://resources.fifa.com/mm/Document/AFFederation/Generic/02/78/29/07/FIFAStatutswebEN_Neutral.pdf"><i>FIFA Statutes</i></a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. FIFA. April 2016. p. 70. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://resources.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/generic/02/78/29/07/fifastatutsweben_neutral.pdf">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on May 9, 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">7 May</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Regulation+III%2C+Article+6%3A+Nationality+entitling+players+to+represent+more+than+one+association&rft.btitle=FIFA+Statutes&rft.pages=70&rft.pub=FIFA&rft.date=2016-04&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fresources.fifa.com%2Fmm%2Fdocument%2Faffederation%2Fgeneric%2F02%2F78%2F29%2F07%2Ffifastatutsweben_neutral.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FIFA_Reg_III_7-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FIFA_Reg_III_7_10-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">"Regulation III, Article 7: Acquisition of a new nationality". <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160509164416/http://resources.fifa.com/mm/Document/AFFederation/Generic/02/78/29/07/FIFAStatutswebEN_Neutral.pdf"><i>FIFA Statutes</i></a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. FIFA. April 2016. p. 71. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://resources.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/generic/02/78/29/07/fifastatutsweben_neutral.pdf">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on May 9, 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">7 May</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Regulation+III%2C+Article+7%3A+Acquisition+of+a+new+nationality&rft.btitle=FIFA+Statutes&rft.pages=71&rft.pub=FIFA&rft.date=2016-04&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fresources.fifa.com%2Fmm%2Fdocument%2Faffederation%2Fgeneric%2F02%2F78%2F29%2F07%2Ffifastatutsweben_neutral.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Johnson-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Johnson_11-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJohnson2013" class="citation news cs1">Johnson, Daniel (2 October 2013). <span class="id-lock-subscription" title="Paid subscription required"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/10368933/Football-cricket-rugby-league-and-rugby-union-how-Englands-teams-compare-for-foreign-born-talent.html">"Football, cricket, rugby league and rugby union - how England's teams compare for foreign-born talent"</a></span>. <i>Daily Telegraph</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/10368933/Football-cricket-rugby-league-and-rugby-union-how-Englands-teams-compare-for-foreign-born-talent.html">Archived</a> from the original on 2022-01-12<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">7 June</span> 2014</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Daily+Telegraph&rft.atitle=Football%2C+cricket%2C+rugby+league+and+rugby+union+-+how+England%27s+teams+compare+for+foreign-born+talent&rft.date=2013-10-02&rft.aulast=Johnson&rft.aufirst=Daniel&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2F10368933%2FFootball-cricket-rugby-league-and-rugby-union-how-Englands-teams-compare-for-foreign-born-talent.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.espnfc.com/united-states/story/2268050/united-states-needs-fifa-exception-for-ineligible-gedion-zelalem-of-arsenal">"Gedion Zelalem currently ineligible but United States can get FIFA exception"</a>. <i>ESPNFC</i>. 27 January 2015. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180629074606/http://www.espnfc.com/united-states/story/2268050/united-states-needs-fifa-exception-for-ineligible-gedion-zelalem-of-arsenal">Archived</a> from the original on 29 June 2018<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">7 May</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=ESPNFC&rft.atitle=Gedion+Zelalem+currently+ineligible+but+United+States+can+get+FIFA+exception&rft.date=2015-01-27&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.espnfc.com%2Funited-states%2Fstory%2F2268050%2Funited-states-needs-fifa-exception-for-ineligible-gedion-zelalem-of-arsenal&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.espnfc.us/united-states/story/2457677/gedion-zelalem-makes-us-debut-in-under-20-friendly">"Gedion Zelalem makes U.S. debut in under-20 friendly"</a>. <i>ESPNFC</i>. May 19, 2015. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160315085902/http://www.espnfc.us/united-states/story/2457677/gedion-zelalem-makes-us-debut-in-under-20-friendly">Archived</a> from the original on March 15, 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">May 19,</span> 2015</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=ESPNFC&rft.atitle=Gedion+Zelalem+makes+U.S.+debut+in+under-20+friendly&rft.date=2015-05-19&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.espnfc.us%2Funited-states%2Fstory%2F2457677%2Fgedion-zelalem-makes-us-debut-in-under-20-friendly&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FIFA_Reg_III_8-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FIFA_Reg_III_8_14-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">"Regulation III, Article 8: Change of association". <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160509164416/http://resources.fifa.com/mm/Document/AFFederation/Generic/02/78/29/07/FIFAStatutswebEN_Neutral.pdf"><i>FIFA Statutes</i></a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. FIFA. April 2016. p. 71. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://resources.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/generic/02/78/29/07/fifastatutsweben_neutral.pdf">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on May 9, 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">7 May</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Regulation+III%2C+Article+8%3A+Change+of+association&rft.btitle=FIFA+Statutes&rft.pages=71&rft.pub=FIFA&rft.date=2016-04&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fresources.fifa.com%2Fmm%2Fdocument%2Faffederation%2Fgeneric%2F02%2F78%2F29%2F07%2Ffifastatutsweben_neutral.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">"Article 3-15: National Status of Players". <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.fiba.basketball/internal-regulations/book3/players-and-officials.pdf"><i>FIBA Internal Regulations, Book 3: Players and Officials</i></a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. FIBA. 17 June 2018. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171013052218/http://www.fiba.basketball/internal-regulations/book3/players-and-officials.pdf">Archived</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> from the original on 13 October 2017<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">9 August</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Article+3-15%3A+National+Status+of+Players&rft.btitle=FIBA+Internal+Regulations%2C+Book+3%3A+Players+and+Officials&rft.pub=FIBA&rft.date=2018-06-17&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fiba.basketball%2Finternal-regulations%2Fbook3%2Fplayers-and-officials.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-16">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">"Article 3-17: National Status of Players". <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.fiba.basketball/internal-regulations/book3/players-and-officials.pdf"><i>FIBA Internal Regulations, Book 3: Players and Officials</i></a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. FIBA. 17 June 2018. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171013052218/http://www.fiba.basketball/internal-regulations/book3/players-and-officials.pdf">Archived</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> from the original on 13 October 2017<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">9 August</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Article+3-17%3A+National+Status+of+Players&rft.btitle=FIBA+Internal+Regulations%2C+Book+3%3A+Players+and+Officials&rft.pub=FIBA&rft.date=2018-06-17&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fiba.basketball%2Finternal-regulations%2Fbook3%2Fplayers-and-officials.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-17">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">"Article 3-18: National Status of Players". <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.fiba.basketball/internal-regulations/book3/players-and-officials.pdf"><i>FIBA Internal Regulations, Book 3: Players and Officials</i></a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. FIBA. 17 June 2018. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171013052218/http://www.fiba.basketball/internal-regulations/book3/players-and-officials.pdf">Archived</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> from the original on 13 October 2017<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">9 September</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Article+3-18%3A+National+Status+of+Players&rft.btitle=FIBA+Internal+Regulations%2C+Book+3%3A+Players+and+Officials&rft.pub=FIBA&rft.date=2018-06-17&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fiba.basketball%2Finternal-regulations%2Fbook3%2Fplayers-and-officials.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-18">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">"Article 3-26: National Status of Players". <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.fiba.basketball/internal-regulations/book3/players-and-officials.pdf"><i>FIBA Internal Regulations, Book 3: Players and Officials</i></a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. FIBA. 17 June 2018. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171013052218/http://www.fiba.basketball/internal-regulations/book3/players-and-officials.pdf">Archived</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> from the original on 13 October 2017<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">9 August</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Article+3-26%3A+National+Status+of+Players&rft.btitle=FIBA+Internal+Regulations%2C+Book+3%3A+Players+and+Officials&rft.pub=FIBA&rft.date=2018-06-17&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fiba.basketball%2Finternal-regulations%2Fbook3%2Fplayers-and-officials.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-19">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">"Article 3-21: National Status of Players". <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.fiba.basketball/internal-regulations/book3/players-and-officials.pdf"><i>FIBA Internal Regulations, Book 3: Players and Officials</i></a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. FIBA. 17 June 2018. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171013052218/http://www.fiba.basketball/internal-regulations/book3/players-and-officials.pdf">Archived</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> from the original on 13 October 2017<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">9 August</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Article+3-21%3A+National+Status+of+Players&rft.btitle=FIBA+Internal+Regulations%2C+Book+3%3A+Players+and+Officials&rft.pub=FIBA&rft.date=2018-06-17&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fiba.basketball%2Finternal-regulations%2Fbook3%2Fplayers-and-officials.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-21">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Article 2.1, <i>The International Cricket Council Player Eligibility Regulations</i>, 7 May 2018. Downloadable from the ICC <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.icc-cricket.com/about/cricket/rules-and-regulations/playing-conditions">here</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20191206150700/https://www.icc-cricket.com/about/cricket/rules-and-regulations/playing-conditions">Archived</a> 2019-12-06 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-ICC_2.2-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-ICC_2.2_22-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-ICC_2.2_22-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Article 2.2, <i>The International Cricket Council Player Eligibility Regulations</i>, 7 May 2018.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-23">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.worldrugby.org/handbook/regulations/reg-8/explanatory-guidelines">"Regulation 8 Explanatory Guidelines"</a>. World Rugby. 21 April 2016. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180515043618/https://www.worldrugby.org/handbook/regulations/reg-8/explanatory-guidelines">Archived</a> from the original on 15 May 2018<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">14 May</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Regulation+8+Explanatory+Guidelines&rft.pub=World+Rugby&rft.date=2016-04-21&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldrugby.org%2Fhandbook%2Fregulations%2Freg-8%2Fexplanatory-guidelines&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Rugby_World-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Rugby_World_24-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rugby_World_24-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rugby_World_24-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rugby_World_24-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Rugby_World_24-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation magazine cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.rugbyworld.com/news/rugbys-international-eligibility-rules-90995">"What are rugby's international eligibility rules?"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/Rugby_World" title="Rugby World">Rugby World</a></i>. 29 March 2018. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180507221845/http://www.rugbyworld.com/news/rugbys-international-eligibility-rules-90995">Archived</a> from the original on 7 May 2018<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">7 May</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Rugby+World&rft.atitle=What+are+rugby%27s+international+eligibility+rules%3F&rft.date=2018-03-29&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rugbyworld.com%2Fnews%2Frugbys-international-eligibility-rules-90995&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-25">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation news cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/38389827">"France rugby team to stop selecting 'foreign' players, says Laporte"</a>. <i>BBC Sport</i>. 21 December 2016. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211028125629/https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/38389827">Archived</a> from the original on 28 October 2021<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">21 January</span> 2017</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=BBC+Sport&rft.atitle=France+rugby+team+to+stop+selecting+%27foreign%27+players%2C+says+Laporte&rft.date=2016-12-21&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fsport%2Frugby-union%2F38389827&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2022Reg8-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-2022Reg8_26-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-2022Reg8_26-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation pressrelease cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.world.rugby/news/672653/world-rugby-approves-birth-right-framework-for-players-to-transfer-unions">"World Rugby approves birthright amendment for players to transfer unions"</a> (Press release). World Rugby. 24 November 2021. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211203162346/https://www.world.rugby/news/672653/world-rugby-approves-birth-right-framework-for-players-to-transfer-unions">Archived</a> from the original on 3 December 2021<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">30 November</span> 2021</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=World+Rugby+approves+birthright+amendment+for+players+to+transfer+unions&rft.pub=World+Rugby&rft.date=2021-11-24&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.world.rugby%2Fnews%2F672653%2Fworld-rugby-approves-birth-right-framework-for-players-to-transfer-unions&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-27">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://blogs.bu.edu/guidedhistory/russia-and-its-empires/tyler-benson/">"The Role of Sports in The Soviet Union - Guided History"</a>. <i>blogs.bu.edu</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20141022002522/http://blogs.bu.edu/guidedhistory/russia-and-its-empires/tyler-benson/">Archived</a> from the original on 2014-10-22<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2020-12-23</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=blogs.bu.edu&rft.atitle=The+Role+of+Sports+in+The+Soviet+Union+-+Guided+History&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.bu.edu%2Fguidedhistory%2Frussia-and-its-empires%2Ftyler-benson%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-cia.gov-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-cia.gov_28-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP80-00810A005600130009-0.pdf">"Info"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <i>www.cia.gov</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210413095421/https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP80-00810A005600130009-0.pdf">Archived</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> from the original on 13 April 2021.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.cia.gov&rft.atitle=Info&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cia.gov%2Freadingroom%2Fdocs%2FCIA-RDP80-00810A005600130009-0.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ANational+sports+team" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-29">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP80-00810A005900310006-0.pdf">"Soviet Control of Sports Activities and Sports Propaganda"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. 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