SELECTION CRITERIA FOR ELITE SQUADS
To be eligible to play for the Netherlands at elite competitions, you need to either have a dutch passport, or have been resident in NL uninterrupted for at least 3 years.
The NTRB consulted FIT (the global touch rugby governing body) and other established organizations with regards to national selections criteria. Based on the input received, we (the NTRB Executive) will be selecting according to the following criteria:
- The drive (working in 3s, dump, dump in gap, initiate touch, etc)
- Attack (pace, sidestep, passing, decision-making, ability to see gap/time run/set someone up, etc)
- Defence (ability to cover man, understanding of defence system, help out fellow defenders, positioning, pace, etc)
- Team (playing according to a role/position/gameplan, positive attitude and contribution, playmaking, organization, etc)
- Communication (talking/listening on attack & defence, etc)
- Fitness (not just fitness but also longevity eg minimal risk of injuries, etc)
- Commitment (turning up to trainings, League, events, etc)
- Potential to learn (has good hand/eye/ball coordination but needs time to learn the game, etc)
- Dutchness (Nederlanders vs expats, etc)
The last point is very important, as the NTRB’s main goal of developing the sport within the Netherlands will only be realised by increasing the number of true Nederlanders in representative sides.
