Duhan van der Merwe's eligibility for Scotland questioned after hat-trick against England
Rugby NewsMonday, 26 February 2024 at 13:34
Scotland's Duhan van der Merwe secured his place in rugby history with a groundbreaking hat-trick in the Calcutta Cup clash against England. Yet, his ambitions soar beyond this milestone.
RUCK’s 2024 Guinness Six Nations content
Surpassing his teammate Darcy Graham and closing in on Stuart Hogg's scoring record, van der Merwe reveals his target. "I aimed for it in the Six Nations," he confesses, emphasizing team success over personal accolades.
Scoring against England holds particular significance for van der Merwe. "It’s obviously very special scoring a hat-trick for Scotland, even more so against England," he muses, hinting at a personal penchant for facing the English side.
Despite the triumph, van der Merwe remains focused on the team's future. "We’re getting better with each game we’re playing," he reflects, underlining the collective journey toward success.
Off the pitch, social media erupted with debate over van der Merwe's eligibility, harking back to the now-defunct three-year residency rule. Critics question his Scottish identity, prompting discourse on rugby's evolving regulations.
One fan wrote: "Duhan van der Merwe is f*cking South African, not Scottish. How is he allowed to play for Scotland? Because he has lived in Edinburgh for 3 years!,"
Since van der Merwe's debut in 2020, the eligibility landscape has shifted. Tightening residency requirements to five years reflects rugby's commitment to fair play and national representation.
Another fan wrote: "Im sorry but its hilarious how un Scottish Duhan Van der Merwe is,"
A second said: "One thinks Scotland might be trying to pull a fast one with this great Scottish player duhan van der merwe,"
Another commented: "The hilarious thing about Duhan van der Merwe is how ridiculously un-Scottish he is. The name. The accent. And physically, there isn’t a Scottish man that looks like him."
SIX NATIONS RANKED BY FOREIGN- BORN PLAYERS:
France (3) - Down by one
Uini Atonio (New Zealand)
Paul Willemse (South Africa)
Émilien Gailleton (England)
Wales (4) - Down by one
Archie Griffin (Australia)
Will Rowlands (England)
George North (England)
Nick Tompkins (England)
England (6) - Up by two
Ethan Roots (New Zealand)
Manu Tuilagi (Samoa)
Sam Underhill (USA)
Marcus Smith (Phillipines)
Marcus Smith of England during the Summer Nations Series Match between England and Wales at Twickenham, London on 12 Aug 2023 (Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK)
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Wales)
Tom Roebuck (Scotland)
Ireland (7) - Up by one
Finlay Bealham (Australia)
Jeremy Loughman (USA)
Joe McCarthy (USA)
Jamison Gibson-Park (New Zealand)
Ciarán Frawley (Australia)
Bundee Aki (New Zealand)
James Lowe (New Zealand)
Italy (8) - Up by one
Marco Manfredi (Germany)
Sebastian Negri (Zimbabwe)
Ross Vintcent (South Africa)
Martin Page-Relo (France)
Stephen Varney (Wales)
Ignacio Brex (Argentina)
Monty Ioane (Australia)
Ange Capuozzo (France)
Scotland (20) - Down by one
Ewan Ashman (Canada)
Johnny Matthews (England)
Alec Hepburn (Australia)
Will Hurd (England)
WP Nel (South Africa)
Pierre Schoeman (South Africa)
Sam Skinner (England)
Josh Bayliss (England)
Andy Christie (England)
Jack Dempsey (Australia)
Ali Price (England)
Ben White (England)
Ben Healy (Ireland)
Rory Hutchinson (England)
Cameron Redpath (Scotland)
Sione Tuipulotu (Australia)
Arron Reed (England)
Kyle Rowe (England)
Kyle Steyn (South Africa)
Duhan van der Merwe (South Africa)
Duhan van der Merwe of Scotland slips the tackle from Maro Itoje of England Rugby during the Six Nations Championship, 127th Calcutta Cup match between England and Scotland at Twickenham Stadium, Twickenham, London on January 6 2021. - PHOTO: Phil Mingo/PPAUK
Quiz: Can you all of the Guinness Six Nations winning captains?
Securing victory in the Guinness Six Nations is undoubtedly special, but achieving this triumph as a captain is a feat that remains a distant dream for many.
In the storied history of Rugby's Greatest Championship, exceptional leaders have emerged—warriors of various forms, be they agile half-backs, towering second rows, or fearless flankers.
Our latest quiz invites you to identify those who have captained their nations to Guinness Six Nations glory. It's worth noting that in certain instances, there may be multiple captains from the same year due to factors such as injuries and rotation.
Surnames only will be accepted.
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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