The younger son of England captain Owen Farrell's father, Andy Farrell, has the potential to qualify to represent Ireland in rugby, setting the stage for a possible match-up with his older sibling in the coming years.
Andy Farrell, who assumed the role of head coach for Ireland in 2019, made the pivotal choice to relocate his family to Dublin.
This move was influenced by his marriage to Colleen O'Loughlin, the sister of his former Wigan teammate, Sean O'Loughlin. This union has resulted in a family of four children, including Owen and Gabriel.
In 2019, as a result of their move to Ireland, Andy's younger son Gabriel may become eligible to play for the Irish national team through residency, if not through ancestry. The final decision on whether Gabriel will pursue a professional rugby career remains in the balance.
He said: "Everyone from the north-west of England is from Ireland anyway. You go from Liverpool straight across the east Lancs to Manchester and it’s full of Irish. I’ve got [Dublin] ancestry that goes back three or four generations, and so has my wife.
“The big move for us, and anyone else from Wigan, is to move down south. That’s the big move,” he adds, smiling. “Coming to Ireland and living in Dublin is almost like going home for me. Just the people and family-type atmosphere.”
Andy and Owen both played together for English Premiership team Saracens and there was big competition between them.
“He says he never lets me win,” said Owen. “But I always win anyway.”
Andy, in 2020, proudly shared that Gabriel's rugby development is progressing rapidly and that he is already surpassing the achievements of his older brother Owen at the same age.
Gabriel's dedication to honing his goal-kicking skills indicates that he is on a promising path to becoming a talented young rugby player.
“Early again” – England given easy group in 2027 Rugby World Cup draw
The Rugby World Cup 2027 draw is scheduled to occur in January 2026, providing a unique scenario with a full two years of international competition still to unfold.
This early draw will utilize the World Rankings as of the conclusion of November 2025 to determine the seeding of participating teams.
During the draw, the 24 participating teams will be divided into six pools, each consisting of four teams. Notably, this draw will transpire before the regional qualifiers have concluded, resulting in a dual-world approach.
On one side, we have the twelve automatic qualifiers from the 2023 Rugby World Cup, confirmed by their names. On the other side, the regional qualifiers will be represented as Africa 1, Europe 1, Europe 2, and so forth.
Rugby World Cup 2027 is set to be hosted in Australia, marking the eleventh edition of the Men's Rugby World Cup and the third time it will take place in Australia. The country previously co-hosted the inaugural Rugby World Cup with New Zealand in 1987 and served as the sole host in 2003.
With the current World Rankings in mind, let's delve into how the 2027 Rugby World Cup will shape up via Rugby Centre.
2027 Rugby World Cup draw (Current rankings)
POOL A
- South Africa
- Australia
- Portugal
- Spain
POOL B
- France
- Fiji
- Tonga
- Chile
Antoine Dupont of France during the Guinness Six Nations match between England and France at Twickenham Stadium, Twickenham, London on Saturday 11th March 2023 | Photo: James Fearn/PPAUK.
POOL C
- New Zealand
- Argentina
- Georgia
- Romania
POOL D
- England
- Italy
- Uruguay
- Canada
Marcus Smith of England during the England World Cup Squad Announcement at Twickenham Stadium, London on Monday 7th August 2023 (Photo: George Beck/PPAUK)
POOL E
- Ireland
- Wales
- Samoa
- Namibia
POOL F
- Scotland
- Japan
- USA
- Hong Kong
QUIZ: Can You Name Every England Six Nations Captain (2000 – 2024)
The Six Nations are back this weekend, and England begin their competition with an away trip to Italy. Head coach Steve Borthwick has selected a new captain for the tournament, can you name him, and 19 other players that have lead the team since the year 2000?
You have five minutes, and your time starts now!
