Jared Payne: Three years is enough to prove loyalty

Recent suggestions foreign players should serve a five-year residency — as opposed to three — before qualifying to play Test rugby for their adopted countries have, unsurprisingly, found little favour with Jared Payne.

Kiwi-born and raised, he served his three-year stint under the game’s current regulations, having arrived in Ulster in 2011 and proceeded to play a crucial role in Ireland’s retention of the Six Nations title.

With Leinster’s Richardt Strauss having followed a similar path and the likes of Munster’s South-African-born back row CJ Stander keen to do likewise, the residency rule is beginning to make waves in Ireland.