Brian Kerr yesterday dismissed the suggestion that he had failed to fully utilise international football's parentage rule in order to recruit players for the Republic of Ireland during his time as manager of the national team.

Speaking at Croke Park where he was launching a league bearing his name which is comprised of representative teams drawn from Ireland's growing immigrant communities and organised by Sport Against Racism in Ireland (SARI), he wished his successor, Steve Staunton, well with the job he is undertaking, but insisted that there is little scope for any dramatic shift in policy on the "granny rule" which he said he had exploited where and whenever appropriate.

Staunton identified the recruitment of eligible players born abroad to the Ireland camp as a major priority on Monday and said he would pursue a number of possibilities over the coming weeks, but Kerr stood over his own record yesterday, insisting that he had done everything he should have to strengthen the squad.

"I said when I got the job that we would leave no stone unturned in this department and I stand by that now, I did leave no stone unturned," he said.

"The only conditions as far as I was concerned were that they had to have the ability to be better than what you already had or they had to have the commitment. If, in either case, they fell down then I didn't pick them. But ar aghaidh leat. Whoever is at it now lash away and do your gig."

Clearly still bruised by the experience of not having his contract with the FAI renewed, Kerr replied with a stark "no" when asked whether the last couple of months had been good ones for him. But the Dubliner wished his successor success in the job and paid tribute to his record as a player for Ireland over the years.

"I wish him the best of luck. I wish him success. There's an interesting group of people running the team now," he said. "Steve has been an exceptional player for Ireland in the past and like anyone who has a real passion for Irish sport I want him to succeed."

Kerr said that he has turned down a number of jobs since becoming available in October and insisted that he has been given no reason to believe at this stage that he will be the next manager of South Africa.

"I sent something to them about the job all right but aside from that I haven't even had any direct contacts with them," he said.

"They're going to the African Nations Championships (CAN) which start this week and they have a manager who I presume they're fully behind so that's that at the moment."

It is believed, however, that Kerr will travel to Egypt at some stage over the coming weeks to take in some games at the CAN although it is not known whether he is due to have any meetings with prospective employers.

In reference to the league he was promoting yesterday, he hailed SARI's initiative as another significant example of the ways in which sport can help to combat racism here. "It's great that so many people from the various communities here are coming together to take part in the league, but I hope, too, that as an event it will help to make people in the wider community here think about the sorts of things that may be happening in Ireland and about the ways in which they might be responsible for it."

The league which, in the absence of a title sponsor, is currently titled the "Brian Kerr Inter-continental League" kicked off last night at Dalymount Park where China took on Poland. Over the coming weeks 16 teams comprised of players from countries like Romania, Nigeria, Libya and Algeria will compete for the inaugural title. "It's one event where we look to integrate the various immigrant communities with each other rather than with the wider community into which they are settling," said SARI chairman Frank Buckley.

"And it's the one tournament," joked Kerr, "where people are actively encouraged to poach the players."