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Former NRL star Ben Te’o is reportedly being lined up for a shock call-up to the England rugby union squad
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The 29-year-old has been plying his trade in the Pro 12 with the Irish province for the last two seasons
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He spent eight years playing the 13-a-side game, representing Samoa on several occasions at international level before making the switch to rugby union
Leinster centre Ben Te’o is believed to have spoken to England coach Eddie Jones ahead of a potential call-up in the summer
Not put off by the failed Sam Burgess experiment, who was labelled a scapegoat for England’s disastrous 2015 World Cup campaign and returned to league after just one season, the Daily Mail has reported that Te’o has been in regular contact with England coach Eddie Jones.
Te’o is joining Worcester from Irish province Leinster at the end of this season, as a means of furthering his ambition to wear the Red Rose at Test level.
Born in Auckland, Te’o has been playing for Irish province Leinster since switching codes from the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2014. However, he is joining English Premiership club Worcester at the end of this season, which theDaily Mail said was a means of “furthering his ambition to wear the Red Rose at Test level”.
Te’o represented the New Zealand under-16s and Junior Kiwis before taking his game to Australia, where he played for the Wests Tigers, Brisbane Broncos and Rabbitohs.
The 29-year-olds mother was born and raised in England, which means that he does not have to qualify on residency.
However, he was not considered for a call-up in the immediate aftermath of switching to union, as his decision to sign for Leinster meant he could not be picked due to the RFU’s stance against selecting players based abroad. He also broke his arm on his first appearance for the Dublin side.