KEY POINTS:
Player release issues are threatening to devalue the Pacific Six Nations and possibly the World Cup.
This year's Six Nations has been pulled forward to start on May 19 which will clash with Super 14 and crucial European club games. As a consequence, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga have little confidence their overseas-based players will be released.
The likes of Rupeni Caucaunibuca, Nicky Little, Seru Rabeni from Fiji, Stephen So'oialo, Seilala Mapasua and Terry Fanolua from Samoa as well as Tongans Aleki Latui and Taufa'au Filise are likely to be off limits for the first Six Nations matches as they will be required for club duty.
All three countries have significant numbers of players based overseas and, if denied access to them, will struggle to be competitive against the Junior All Blacks and Australia A (Japan is the other team involved).
The clubs will be within their rights to withhold players from the first two rounds as these do not fall into the IRB test window. But what irks Pacific bosses is that in recent years there have been instances where some of the established nations have played tests outside the IRB window and persuaded clubs to release players.
Players will have to be released for the latter rounds but by then the injury toll will inevitably have mou-nted and some players will just about be dead on their feet.
The Six Nations is critical preparation time ahead of the World Cup and the Pacific Island nations desperately want all their star players so they can build confidence, understanding and momentum.
To have to struggle through half the Six Nations without most of their best players will be tough enough but the real concern is that release issues crop up again during the World Cup.
Club programmes in Europe and New Zealand will be in full swing when the World Cup kicks off in September. While every club is obliged to release test stars for the World Cup, there have been frequent examples in the past where that has not happened.
Coaches and players have reported incidents where some clubs have quietly threatened Pacific Island players with severe financial penalties if they opt go to the World Cup.
There have even been stories of Pacific Islanders being told their contracts would be terminated if they chose to play for their country ahead of their club.
Former Fiji coach Wayne Pivac, who quit the post in January to join North Harbour, said "We were expecting some player release issues. With the early start to the Six Nations that was going to be a problem. We wrote to all the clubs a while back and we were awaiting a response.
"The regulations are there but how do you enforce them? Coaches will get access to their players for the World Cup but they won't get them when they need them for preparation."
