Quota players

Quota players is a term in sport referring to the limit of foreign players on a domestic team.

Rugby League

An overseas player quota restricts the number of foreign players that rugby league clubs in the Super League, Championship, and League 1 competitions are allowed to sign. Currently, Super League and Championship clubs are allowed a maximum of 5 foreign players, while League 1 clubs are allowed just 2.

For the Canadian-based Toronto Wolfpack, American, Canadian, and Jamaican players do not count towards the foreign quota.

Previously, the maximum number of foreign players for each Super League club was three. Harlequins RL were permitted four quota players as they are considered to be a non-heartland team. The Welsh team Crusaders is allowed 14 overseas players and French side Catalans Dragons are allowed eight non-French players. Championship teams were only allowed one quota player, aside from Toulouse who have five foreign players.

Exceptions

There are three exceptions for a player to avoid quota player status. Those are listed below:

1. When a player has played for a rugby team for six years, he is eligible to gain British citizenship and does not count under the quota.

2. If the player has a passport for any EU nation or a Kolpak nation.

3. If the player is from a Kolpak nation such as Papua New Guinea, Samoa or Tonga.

Evolution

Each club is allowed

2008

At least 5 home grown players.

No more than 5 overseas quota players.

No more than 10 overseas trained players inc the 5 quota players.

Rest of the squad to be from players trained within the same federation.

2009

At least 6 home grown players.

No more than 5 overseas quota players.

No more than 8 overseas trained players inc quota players.

Rest of squad to be from players trained within same federation.

2010

At least 7 home grown players.

No more than 5 quota players.

No more than 6 overseas trained players inc quota players.

Rest of squad to be from players trained within same federation.

2011

At least 14 home grown players.

No more than 5 quota players.

No more than 5 overseas trained players inc quota players.

Rest of squad to be from players trained within same federation.

KEY

Home grown players - any player still under 21 and/or has completed 3 years service with the same clubs academy set up.

Same federation - any player still under 21 and/or has completed 3 years service with other clubs academy set ups within UK (for UK SL clubs) or France (for Catalans etc.)

Overseas quota players - as per current rules i.e. Anyone unable to prove origins within EU or Kolpak countries.

Overseas trained - any other overseas player (EU passport or Kolpak etc.)

2019 Super League quota players

Foreign non-quota players that are followed by parentheses would ordinarily count towards the foreign quota, but have obtained passport, through their parental heritage, birthplace, or residency, in order to be classed as a non-quota player. Players with unknown status may or may not be using such a method.

Club	Foreign quota players	Foreign non-quota players	Unknown status
Castleford Tigers	Jy Hitchcox, Grant Millington, Jake Webster	Gadwin Springer Mitch Clark ()	Ben Roberts () Junior Moors, Jesse Sene-Lefao ()
Catalans Dragons	Greg Bird, Luke Walsh Jodie Broughton, Michael McIlorum, Iain Thornley, Lewis Tierney	Paul Aiton, David Mead Sam Moa	Brayden Wiliame (), Samisoni Langi () Louis Anderson ()
Huddersfield Giants	Ryan Hinchcliffe, Jordan Rankin, Tom Symonds	Shannon Wakeman ([1]) Kruise Leeming ([2]) Ukuma Taʻai	Jake Mamo () Sebastine Ikahihifo (})
Hull F.C.	Albert Kelly Bureta Faraimo	Hakim Miloudi Masimbaashe Matongo	Mark Minichiello () Sika Manu, Fetuli Talanoa, Mickey Paea (), Carlos Tuimavave ()
Hull Kingston Rovers	, Adam Quinlan Taioalo Vaivai	([3]) Thibault Franck	Andrew Heffernan () Mose Masoe ()
Leeds Rhinos	Trent Merrin, Matt Parcell	Adam Cuthbertson ([4]), Mikolaj Oledzki	Nathaniel Peteru (), Tuimoala Lolohea (), Konrad Hurrell
Salford Red Devils	Jack Littlejohn, Robert Lui Weller Hauraki	Levy Nzoungou	Ben Nakubuwai () Junior Sa'u, Lama Tasi (), Manu Vatuvei ()
St Helens	Ben Barba, Ryan Morgan	Théo Fages Regan Grace	Luke Douglas (), Zeb Taia () Dominique Peyroux ( )
Wakefield Trinity	Jacob Miller, Tyler Randell Justin Horo		David Fifita (), Pauli Pauli () Tinirau Arona (), Bill Tupou ()
Warrington Wolves	Mitch Brown, Bryson Goodwin, Tyrone Roberts		Sitaleki Akauola, Ben Murdoch-Masila ()
Widnes Vikings	Chris Houston, Charly Runciman Hep Cahill, Aaron Heremaia	Macgraff Leuluai () Stanton Albert, Wellington Albert Lloyd White	Patrick Ah Van, Krisnan Inu ()
Wigan Warriors	Gabriel Hamlin	Morgan Escaré, Romain Navarrete Ben Flower	Taulima Tautai () Willie Isa, Thomas Leuluai

External links

• Leeds Today Rugby Columnists- Overseas restriction is the right way to go

References

1. Barrow, Pete (23 December 2016). "Huddersfield Giants club ambassador Eorl Crabtree excited by Australian recruits". Examiner. Retrieved 9 February 2018. “Shannon’s statistics speak for themselves,” enthused Crabtree, about the prop who doesn’t count on the overseas quota as he qualifies for Italy.
2. Roberts, Chris (6 May 2013). "Kruise Leeming makes big impact in Huddersfield Giants debut". Examiner. Retrieved 9 February 2018. “I absolutely loved it,” said Leeming, whose father is English and his mother is from Swaziland, with the family having lived in England for the past 14 years.
3. "Hull KR sign Aussie Kieren Moss on one-year contact". Sky Sports. 14 January 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2018. Moss, who can play at full-back, on the wing or in the halves, has a British passport so will not count as one of the club’s non-federation trained players.
4. Smith, Peter (27 May 2014). "Cuthbertson is a golden signing – Tautai". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 9 February 2018. Cuthbertson’s family are from Warrington and he has recently been granted a British passport, which means he will not count on Rhinos’ overseas players quota.