England star Marcus Smith has reiterated his desire to represent the Philippines later in his career, potentially opening the door to playing alongside his younger brothers.
The Harlequins fly-half remains committed to England, but has made no secret of his ambition to become involved with Philippine rugby further down the line.
Smith was born in Manila to a Filipino mother and British father. He then spent part of his childhood in Singapore and eventually moving to England.
His connection to the Philippines remains strong, with the playmaker previously describing helping rugby grow in the country as a long-term ambition.
It would also represent a fascinating final chapter for a player who has been a regular part of England’s plans heading towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Smith on representing the Philippines
Smith has previously made clear that his immediate international focus remains England.
“Obviously my heart and my mind are fully with England at the minute, it’s a dream of mine to be wearing this kit right now,” he said.
However, Smith has also opened the door to representing the country of his birth once his England career is over.
“One day I’d love to help and be involved in Philippine rugby, my brother currently plays for the Philippines.
“One day that might be different, or when I retire from here, if I get that opportunity, if my body still holds up, it would be lovely to play with both of my younger brothers.”
It is not the first time Smith has spoken about what the Philippines means to him.
The England international previously told The Guardian about his long-term ambition to give something back to Philippine rugby, saying he wanted to make people in the country “happy and proud of me.”
Smith’s international future will inevitably attract attention, particularly with England continuing to build towards the next Rugby World Cup.
Could Marcus Smith actually switch nations?
There is now a route for Smith to do so.
Under World Rugby’s current international eligibility regulations, a player who has already represented one country can apply to switch to another union through the birthright transfer rule.
The player must have been born in the country they wish to represent, or have a parent or grandparent born there, and must have gone at least three years without representing their former union. Any switch also requires World Rugby approval.
Smith's birthplace therefore provides the required birthright connection to the Philippines, although he would still have to satisfy the other conditions before becoming eligible.
For now, there is no suggestion his England career is about to end.
But Smith has made his longer-term ambition clear: once his time in an England shirt is over, he would love the opportunity to pull on a Philippines jersey alongside his brothers.
Read also
Five Marcus Smith facts you might not know
1. Tottenham rejected him
Smith's sporting career could have gone in a very different direction.
Before becoming an England rugby star, he was a talented footballer and even had a trial with Tottenham Hotspur as a teenager.
It didn't work out. Smith later revealed he cried on the journey home after being rejected.
Thankfully for Harlequins, he stuck with rugby.
2. His mum cuts his hair
Smith has sported plenty of different hairstyles during his career, but he hasn't always needed to visit a barber.
His mum, Suzanne, opened a hair salon in Manila and has cut the hair of Marcus and his brothers.
Smith joked that she would sometimes ignore what they asked for and give them the style she wanted instead.
He discussed his mum's unusual influence on his hairstyles during an interview with The Rugby Journal.
3. He wasn't always a fly-half
Smith is now one of rugby's best-known No.10s, while England have also experimented with him at full-back.
But he actually started out at scrum-half.
Smith played at No.9 when he was younger before eventually moving one position out to fly-half during his teenage years.
His journey from scrum-half to England playmaker formed part of Sky Sports' look at Smith's rise to international rugby.
4. Fiji helped inspire his playing style
This one probably makes sense when you watch him play.
Smith regularly attended the Hong Kong Sevens while growing up in Asia and became fascinated by Fiji's style of rugby.
The handling, footwork and freedom with which they attacked made a major impression on the future England star.
Smith would then try some of those skills when playing rugby with his younger brothers.
You can certainly see some of that influence in a player who has built his reputation on producing spectacular attacking moments.
5. He thought he was in trouble before becoming a Lion
Smith's first British & Irish Lions call-up arrived in extraordinary fashion.
He was playing for England against Canada in 2021 when he was unexpectedly summoned after being substituted.
Smith initially wondered whether he was in trouble.
Instead, he discovered he was heading to South Africa.
With Finn Russell struggling with an Achilles problem, Smith was called into the British & Irish Lions squad by Warren Gatland.
It capped an incredible period in which he won the league with Harlequins, made his England debut and became a Lion within a matter of weeks.
