In an interview with the Mail Online, front-rower, Patrick Schickerling revealed he's eligible to represent England based on residency.
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The prop, who will join Glasgow Warriors this summer, had made a significant impact for the Chiefs and was called up by Eddie Jones at the end of the 2022/23 season.
He came on as a replacement in a game against the Barbarians, but had to leave the game due to a head injury. He was then included in the squad for the tour of Australia, but did not make his Test debut.
It is now clear that the player did not meet the residency requirements as was previously thought by both the player and the RFU.
It was rugby scribe Bryan Ray who revealed he's wasn't.
The Exeter Chiefs star claimed in the interview that: "When I arrived in England in 2018, the rule was that you are eligible to play after three years of residency... Two months later, the rule went up to five years.
"I was living in the UK for three years straight and I couldn’t go home because of Covid. That’s why!"
Ray wrote in an interesting Twitter thread:
"November 2018 arrival would put him on track to qualify under the three-year residency rule in November of 2021. The consecutive residency rule, which falls under World Rugby's Regulation 8, was then extended to five years effective January 1, 2022."
"Schickerling assumes that because he reached the three-year mark before the change, his eligibility carried over. It does not."
"In order for Schickerling to keep his England eligibility, he had to have played for England or England 'A' between qualifying in November of 2021 and January 1, 2022. He did not."
Ray concludes by saying: "That means Schickerling falls under the five-year rule. He won't qualify for England until November of 2023, but remains eligible to represent Namibia."
No action will be taken by World Rugby as he is still uncapped and is not ‘captured’ by England. This follows the decision to throw Spain out of the Rugby World Cup after they fielded an ineligible player during their successful qualifying campaign.
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