AT THE END of his first season as an Irish international, Jared Payne has a medal tucked away at home as proof that things have gone fairly smoothly during his fourth year on these shores.
It hasn’t always been that way for Payne, however.
If a proposed rule change from World Rugby were to take hold then players in his position would still be ruled ineligible for their country of long-term residence.
The current rule allows an uncapped player to become eligible for another nation after three consecutive years of residence. World Rugby chief Brett Gosper has said he is prepared to review that rule with an alternative five-year wait period being floated as an amendment.
Having crossed for his first Test try in his sixth international outing, the 29-year-old struggles to imagine how his career may have been altered if he was still not qualified to play for Joe Schmidt’s side.
“It would be an interesting decision if they decide to change it,” Payne said at a Kingspan media day in Dublin yesterday.
“I think three years is a long time in professional sport. If you extend it to five, some people’s careers don’t last five unfortunately.
“Look, I don’t think it needs to be changed. Three years is a pretty long time to commit to a different country. I don’t see a problem with it. But, I’m probably a bit biased.”
The three years gave Payne enough hurdles as it was. When he texted a word of thanks to former Ulster Director of Rugby David Humphreys after the back-to-back Six Nations success the two may well have shared a flashback to the nightmare beginning to the period. A horror ankle injury in his third appearance ended Payne’s first season in Belfast as early as October – almost as soon as it had started.
“You do doubt yourself when you have a serious injury as much as you like to stay positive. It was pretty satisfying to get back and be part of what happened,” says the Irish Kiwi.
“It was definitely challenging coming to the other side of the world a completely new country, not being able to do what I came here for was very tough – It probably gave me resolve as an individual and made me realise you can get through those things.”
Payne maintains that the rule (as it stood then) had no bearing on his decision to head for Ulster when he did in 2011. A new experience in a new part of the world was what he wanted and he has found that in spades. If you needed reassurance that he has well and truly made Belfast his home over Tauranga, it comes when he names Irish rugby fans as superior to their counterparts down south – whatever the consequences.
“I will probably get shot somewhere for saying this but the way he Irish get behind their team, they’re a lot more passionate.
“It’s unbelievable to see match days where you’re over in Rome, or somewhere, and there are Irish people filling the streets, full of beans and getting behind their team. It’s unparalleled, the support you get from the public.”
All in all, the same can’t be said for the quality of the average quality of player being produced and exported from the respective islands. There is no easy, quick remedy to this for Ireland. All clubs around the country can do is put the ball in the hands of more children and encourage them to put it to good use, Payne says:
“The weather plays a big part, unfortunately. When you’re back there, you can work on your skills 10 months out of the year whereas here it is three-four months of the season.”
“[In New Zealand] you can’t just be the biggest, strongest guy. You’ve got to be the biggest, strongest, most skilful guy.
“There are a lot of big, strong boys and the ones who really make the cut I guess are the ones that are that bit more skilful. They encourage you from a young age to get more skilful. The bigger boys or little fellas have to learn some other way to play the game. The only choice is to get more skilful.”
Careers in professional rugby can be perilously short, it would be a shame if players had to spend over half of it waiting to be accepted in their adopted home.
