''Give back to my culture' - Five players who will swap countries for 2023 Rugby World Cup

Friday, 12 November 2021 at 20:22

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byRugby Rucker

International players will be able to switch nationality if revolutionary changes to eligibility rules are voted through by World Rugby later this month.

Under the new proposals, players will be able to represent the country of their or their ancestors' birth after a three-year stand-down period.

The World Rugby council will discuss the proposals at the next meeting on 24 November, with a 75% majority, or 39 of 52 votes, required for the ruling to pass.

#1. Malakai Fekitoa (New Zealand to Tonga)

Current number of caps: 41
Age at the start of RWC 2023: 32
Did you know: He won 24 caps for the All Blacks between 2014 and 2017

Fekitoa, capped 24 times by New Zealand, qualified for Tonga using a loophole in eligibility rules through playing rugby sevens in an Olympic qualifier during the summer.

#2. Jeffery Toomaga-Allen (New Zealand to Samoa)

Current number of caps: 1
Age at the start of RWC 2023: 32
Did you know: He won 24 caps for the All Blacks between 2014 and 2017

The one-cap All Black is exploring the possibility of adding to his 12-minute international career, which was ended in 2018 when he made the decision to move to England and join Wasps - where he recently passed a half-century of appearances. Toomaga-Allen's hopes of representing Samoa through his mother's side of the family hinge on World Rugby's vote later this month to change international eligibility rules.

#3. Mako Vunipola (England to Tonga)

Current number of caps: 70
Age at the start of RWC 2023: 32
Did you know:? In 2018, Vunipola and his partner welcomed a son, Jacob.

Born in Wellington, New Zealand, the loosehead-prop would be eligible to play for Tonga as he is the son of former Tonga captain Fe’ao Vunipola.

The prop said: "When I’m with England, I’m proud to be English, but understanding my heritage is Tongan. Whatever I can do to try and help as much as I can; not just with Tonga but the islands, I do.

“Obviously I’d love to play for them, but it’s difficult because it would be unfair to those back on the island; to see myself as an old man coming in and taking that opportunity away from them.

"It’s a catch-22 really. You’d like to see people not being tied down to one (country) and being able to represent those countries – and they’d be better for it – but you’d also like locals to have the opportunity to make a better life for themselves by playing for their country and on the back of that getting contracts overseas.”

#4. Charles Piutau (New Zealand to Tonga)

Current number of caps: 20
Age at the start of RWC 2023: 32
Did you know? He is the younger brother of 42-cap Tonga centre Siale Piutau.

Piutau, who started his career with Tonga U20 side last played for All Blacks in July 2015 after he was omitted from the World Cup squad that year and his move to Europe effectively ended his chance of Test recall under Steve Hansen.

“I’d love nothing more than to be able to represent Tonga at the next World Cup,” Piutau, who has the backing of Pacific Rugby Players’ Welfare (PPRW) told Press Association Sport.

“I’ve expressed my desire to do that previously, but so far there has been no word about whether that would be possible.

“I’m holding out hope that it can still happen, but obviously the longer that goes on without any suggestion of the rulings changing, then the less likely that becomes.”

#5. Taqele Naiyaravoro (Australia to FIji)

In an interview with the Daily Mail’s Nik Simon, the Northampton Saints winger international winger said he would ‘100 perc cent’ play for Fiji.

I’m 28 and I’ve still got the best years ahead of me, so the opportunity to play for Fiji would be a dream come true,’ he told Sportsmail.

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12:38 PM · Sep 16, 2018

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‘I have no regrets about playing for Australia. I was pretty young at the time when the opportunity came along and I went for it.

‘But Fiji has always been in my heart. It’s where I was born. When I left Fiji for Australia, my dream was to play for Fiji. I would 100 per cent commit to Fiji if that opportunity came along.’