Steenkamp's Welsh dream 'a joke'

 

As part of the recent £60m deal between the Welsh Rugby Union and four regions, each region can have up to eight overseas players but two must be "time-serving" for international duty.

 

Steenkamp has been signed to the Welsh region, the Ospreys, for a three year contract – which covers the length of time it takes to qualify through residency.

 

Owen, who won 41 caps for Wales, has described the rule which allows a foreign player to qualify for another nation as "a joke."

 

"The fact you can come over here for three years and as a professional rugby player and qualify to play for a country I think is a little bit farcical to be honest," Owen told Radio Wales Sport.

 

"I just think the law itself and the administrators of the IRB are the people who need to look at it and say is this right and just or is it just making a little bit of a mockery of international rugby and that's my position."

 

For Steenkamp, he is happy to have a shot at playing for the Welsh Dragons, should the opportunity arise.

 

"If I can play in three years' time for Wales, I'll be delighted," he said.

 

Ospreys signed the 27-year-old from Super Rugby side Stormers on a deal which runs until 2017.

 

Steenkamp has been part of a Springboks squad before, but has never featured in a match.

 

"As far as I know, [the] only foreigners that can come to Wales, they must be eligible to play for Wales in three years' time so that's why the contract is for three years," said the former Stormers man.