Kuni Minga leaves league for union

Former Toulouse Olympique star Kuni Minga has switched codes to rugby union after not being allowed to move to a rugby league club in the UK.

The 24-year-old is currently on trial with second-tier French Rugby Union club USAP (Union Sportive des Arlequins Perpignanais-Roussillon) after he left Championship Rugby League side Toulouse by mutual consent in the off-season.

Featherstone Rovers tried to sign the Papua New Guinean but he was denied his move to the UK by the Rugby Football League, because he had not met the criteria of playing at least 75% of games over the last two years.

He had played 73.7% after playing 45 games from a possible 61, and because he was 1.3% short of the ruling, he wasn’t granted a Governing Body Endorsement for a visa from the RFL and therefore, couldn’t move to any Rugby League club in the UK.

The Rovers and Minga had also agreed terms as well but there is no chance of the deal going ahead now.

And Featherstone made their frustrations clear, issuing a statement two weeks ago.

Davide Longo, Rovers general manager, said: “We are extremely disappointed at the RFL’s decision not to grant Kuni a GBE.

“Kuni was very much looking forward to joining the club and challenging himself at the top of this division but we are now left with no choice but to walk away from the deal, which had been agreed in principal.”

 Should Minga have been granted a GBE by the RFL or are rules, rules? Let us know in the comments below.