The Cherry and Whites’ diverse set of nationalities may push more players to international level under new World Rugby rules announced on November 24
World Rugby announced a change in the international eligibility rules which gives players the flexibility to play internationally for their parents, grandparents and own birthplace.
But where there’s possibility for some players who are rising through the ranks, the competitive market has drastically increased overnight for Gloucester’s current international players to keep their shirts.
Gloucester Rugby’s Jonny May and Mark Atkinson were selected alongside Eddie Jones’ young England squad in preparation for the World Cup but could we be seeing more Gloucester players in the World Cup?
From January 2022, rugby players will now be allowed to represent a different country, depending on family history and their nationality, as long as the player hasn’t played for England or another country for three years.
This allows more players the freedom to progress their rugby elsewhere at international level instead of being instantly tied down after one cap at senior level.
International Rugby Players (IRP) chief executive, Omar Hassanein told BBC Sport: “Many players across the world will now benefit from the chance to represent the country of their ancestors’ birth, serving as a real boost to the competitiveness of emerging nations.”
Now World Rugby has unravelled a new “global competitiveness of rugby”, it will be interesting to see whether more big-names, like Jonny May and Louis Rees-Zammit will be produced from Gloucester Rugby outside of the Six Nations.
While Eddie Jones’ new England project is currently looking unlikely of more debuts, the World Rugby’s new international eligibility rule widens the England manager’s horizons.
With Cherry and Whites players, like Ruan Ackermann (former Lions Super Rugby player, South Africa) and Kirill Gotovtsev (2019 World Cup for Russia), it’ll be interesting to see what their next move will be.
With an increased accessibility to more international-level players who were recently restricted to their national team, further relationships and connections will be made between countries and players.
