Josh van der Flier reveals whether he'd play for the Springboks

Maybe it’s the Dutch surname, maybe it’s the long-running saga of residency rules, but let’s get one thing straight: Josh van der Flier is not South African.

The running joke about Wicklow’s favourite flanker being a “project player” has been doing the rounds for years, and every time it pops up again, plenty still fall for it.

“One of the hotel staff started speaking Afrikaans to me,” the 32-year-old laughed on Ireland’s 2024 tour of South Africa.

“It takes a while to explain I’m actually Irish. They’ve seen the meme and think, ‘He must be South African.’ I posted something on Twitter a few weeks ago and all the comments were, ‘You’re coming home!’”

From England’s Manila-born playmaker Marcus Smith to Scotland’s South African powerhouse Duhan van der Merwe, the four nations of the UK and Ireland each tell a different story of heritage, opportunity, and the evolving face of Test rugby.

Here’s how England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland rank by the number — and percentage — of foreign-born players in their latest squads.

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso — born in Cardiff, Wales

Bevan Rodd — born in Dunoon, Scotland

Tom Roebuck — born in Inverness, Scotland

Sam Underhill — born in Dayton, Ohio, USA

Marcus Smith — born in Manila, Philippines

5 of the 36 players (about 14%) were born outside England, representing birthplaces in Wales, Scotland, the USA, and the Philippines.

Ben Carter — born in Crowborough, East Sussex, England

Taulupe Faletau — born in Tofoa, Tonga

Archie Griffin — born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Danny Southworth — born in Barnstaple, England

Freddie Thomas — born in Gloucester, England

5 of the 36 players (about 14%) were born outside Wales, representing birthplaces in England, Tonga, and Australia.

Bundee Aki — born in Auckland, New Zealand

Jamison Gibson‑Park — born in Great Barrier Island, New Zealand

James Lowe — born in Nelson, New Zealand

Mack Hansen — born in Canberra, Australia

Finlay Bealham — born in Canberra, Australia

Joe McCarthy — born in Manhattan, New York, USA

Cormac Izuchukwu — born in London, England

Ciarán Frawley — born in Sydney, Australia

8 of the 34 players (about 24%) were born outside Ireland, representing birthplaces in New Zealand, Australia, the USA, and England.

Fergus Burke — born in Gisborne, New Zealand

Sione Tuipulotu — born in Frankston, Victoria, Australia

Duhan van der Merwe — born in George, South Africa

Ben White — born in Stoke‑on‑Trent, England

Ewan Ashman — born in Toronto, Canada

Josh Bayliss — born in Tiverton, England

Jack Dempsey — born in Sydney, Australia

Nathan McBeth — born in Welkom, South Africa

Elliot Millar Mills — born in Stockport, England

Andy Onyeama‑Christie — born in Bristol, England

Pierre Schoeman — born in Mbombela (Nelspruit), South Africa

Kyle Steyn — born in Johannesburg, South Africa

15 of the 36 players (about 42%) were born outside Scotland, representing birthplaces in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, England, and Canada.