The 2023 Rugby World Cup kicks off in little over a week’s time, with hosts France taking on the All Blacks in what will be a blockbuster opening contest. The eyes of the world will be on the tournament, as the 20 best rugby nations from around the globe compete for the right to lift the prestigious Web Ellis trophy.
All rugby players dream to one day represent their country on the biggest stage, however it is quite a common occurrence to see players run out for nations, that are different to their place of birth. These ‘foreign born’ players can often be integral parts of an international set-up, with each Rugby World Cup match set to portray a diverse landscape, that encapsulates the global game.
Within the modern rugby landscape, a player can certainly be ‘home grown’, despite being born in a different country (eg George North – born in England and is a product of Wales). Also, following World Rugby’s adaptations to the eligibility laws, some players will be running out at the Rugby World Cup, despite having previously represented a different nation at an earlier competition.
The latest laws dictate that following a 36-month stand-down from international test matches, a player can represent a second nation, permitting that they are of course eligible via ancestry or residency.
The Pacific Island nations of Samoa and Tonga are making full use out of this law change, with former All Blacks and Wallabies stars joining their ranks for the upcoming trip to France.
So let’s meet these players, here are all of the foreign-born players, who will be heading to France for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Research has been conducted via All Rugby and It’s Rugby databases, as well as the official squad announcements.
Update 04/09/23 – This article was first published on 30/08/23, and has since been updated with research by Americas Rugby News.
POOL A
NEW ZEALAND (9)
Ethan de Groot – Australia (Prop)
Neto Laulala – Samoa (Prop)
Ofa Tu’ungafasi – Tonga (Prop)
Tyrel Lomax – Australia (Prop)
Samisoni Taukei’aho – Tonga (Hooker)
Shannon Frizell – Tonga (Back Row)
Finlay Christie – Scotland (Scrum Half)
Leicester Fainga’anuku – Tonga (Winger)
Emoni Narawa – Fiji (Winger)
FRANCE (2)
Paul Willemse – South Africa (Lock)
Uini Atonio – New Zealand (Prop)
ITALY (12)
Ivan Nemer – Argentina (Prop)
Hame Faiva – New Zealand (Hooker)
David Sisi – Germany (Lock)
Dino Lamb – England (Lock)
Sebastian Negri – Zimbabwe (Back Row)
Toa Halafihi – New Zealand (Back Row)
Martin Page-Relo – France (Scrum Half)
Stephen Varney – Wales (Scrum Half)
Juan Ignacio Brex – Argentina (Centre)
Paolo Odogwu – England (Winger)
Monty Ioane – New Zealand (Winger)
Ange Capuozzo – France (Fullback)
URUGUAY (1)
Baltazar Amaya – Argentina (Fullback)
NAMIBIA (1)
Tiaan De Klerk – South Africa (Lock)