Former All Blacks lock Isaac Ross' rugby future in Japan looks over, as a result of an obscure Top League rule that has effectively called into question the validity of his status as a Japanese citizen.
Despite having held a Japanese passport since 2017, Ross is still considered a foreigner under a Top League law introduced in 2016 that has banned internationally-capped players from overseas who have obtained Japanese citizenship from being recognised as a local player.
Anyone who played rugby for another country and acquired Japanese citizenship prior to August 31, 2016 is deemed Japanese in the Top League. However, because Ross achieved Japanese citizenship after that date, his eight test appearances for the All Blacks means he remains a foreigner.
Consequently, the former Crusaders, Highlanders and Chiefs lock falls under the Top League's foreign quota, part of which limits teams to fielding up to two internationally-capped foreign players at any time, and as a result, his NTT Communications Shining Arcs team has decided not to renew his contract.
Japanese passport holders who haven't played for another country don't fall under any of these restrictions, however, which has led to teams fielding as many as 11 foreigners at any time.
The impact of the constant drive into the offshore player market is something that Ross hasn't been immune to, with NTT Communications Shining Arcs signing World Cup-winning Springboks hooker Malcolm Marx and Wallabies playmaker Christian Lealiifano for the 2020 season.
Their additions meant Ross' game time was severely limited earlier this year, as only two of the three foreign test stars could take the field at the same time.
Isaac Ross (centre) is without a team in the Top League due to a citizenship rule. Photo / Photosport
Had he been considered a Japanese player, Ross would have been able to play alongside Marx and Lealiifano freely under no restrictions, but the implications of his foreign status now leaves him without a club.
"NTT decided not to renew my contract because I'm an internationally-capped foreigner, and they're looking in a different direction, and a lot of other teams have that same mentality," Ross told RugbyPass.
"However, they've alluded to the fact that… if I was Japanese, and if I was able to register as a Japanese player, then that's a whole different ball game."
Ross revealed several teams from across Japan have since expressed interest in signing him for next season, provided the rule is changed to allow him to play as Japanese.
"You don't want to look for the sob story, these times are hard for a lot of people, but that's the reality for us. We're no longer contracted here in Japan," he said.
"These guys [the Top League] haven't announced [if] a rule change is going to happen, and if they do change, then we'll have the ability to stay, but if they don't, then our journey here in Japan is finished.
"When the rule was initially announced, I appealed the ruling and it was rejected.
"We moved on from that but the past couple of years, they have continued to loosen other foreign player regulations while staying firm on ours despite the fact it no longer makes sense and infringes on our rights as Japanese.
"We gave up our citizenship of our own countries to become Japanese, and that's probably the biggest thing for us," he said, before adding: "It feels that we're the ones that are getting punished for our loyalty.
"It's a heavy pill to swallow to have to represent your own country and then getting punished for your loyalty [to] Japan."
It's an issue that Deane Kebblewhite, a rugby fan and long-time resident of Japan, is calling to be resolved.
Kebblewhite created an online petition for the law, which he described as "discriminatory", to be overturned earlier this year.
"Why they're allowed to sign these guys is because [they are] 'currently eligible or future eligible for Japan', so even if they just move here today, they're classed as 'future eligible' because they're not capped overseas.
"They definitely add to the quality of the Top League, but most of these guys aren't going to be here long enough to ever meet the World Rugby eligibility requirements.
"It's just all kinds of hypocrisy and discrimination. They are legally Japanese in every way, but the moment they pull on that Top League jersey, they are foreigners again because of some made up rule by the JRFU."
Isaac Ross playing for NTT Communications ShiningArcs. Photo / Getty
Whether or not the Top League will change the rule remains to be seen, with a Japan Rugby Football Union spokesperson telling RugbyPass the issue "is still under discussion" and that a decision about the ruling would be made at a board meeting "in due course".
Regardless, Ross has taken a philosophical approach to what could be the closing stages of his time in Japan.
"If this is the time for our journey to finish, we're comfortable with that," he said.
"Once I got past 30, I was always considering that I was punching in the bonus rounds, so every year has been a gift for us. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity of being here so long.
"We've always been prepared to move on, nothing is long-term in rugby. We love Japan, we've raised our family here, the kids are fully bilingual and we made a commitment to this country by changing citizenship. Our boys just recently had their Japanese citizenship granted.
"We're trying to give them an opportunity, potentially, if they want to come back to Japan later in life, they don't have this problem.
"At this stage, as a capped foreign player, my rugby career in Japan is over due to the rule. However, I have an amazing opportunity to move on offshore, so the dream is not yet over.
"But, for now, we are just trying to amend a rule so us, and others like us, who gain Japanese citizenship and wish to play in Japan as a local, won't suffer the consequences in the wake of the honour of representing their previous countries at the highest level.
"We hope that the JRFU and Top League see it that way too."
