"Kilted Kiwi's" - Scotland have more foreign-born players than any other nation
Rugby NewsThursday, 13 March 2025 at 13:02
The Six Nations is always a showcase of top-tier talent, but not every player pulls on their nation's jersey having been born there.
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With eligibility rules allowing selections through ancestry, residency, or other pathways, squads feature a fascinating mix of homegrown stars and those who developed their skills elsewhere before qualifying for their adopted countries.
The following breakdown, based on data compiled by Americas Rugby News, examines the composition of various national teams, shedding light on the number of foreign-born players and how they qualify for their respective squads.
This international blend underlines rugby’s global nature, with some nations leaning on overseas-born talent more than others. Ahead of round two, we've broken down the squads – and Scotland lead the way by a mile when it comes to foreign-born players.
ENGLAND
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 39/41 (95.2%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 3/41 (7.3%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 3/41 (7.3%)
- Bevan Rodd (Scotland) - Parent
- Chandler Cunningham-South (England) - Born in England
- Harry Randall (England) - Born in England
- Marcus Smith (Philippines) - Parent
- Tom Roebuck (Scotland) - Parent
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POINTS
5 Points: Total Tries Correct
15 Points: Time of 1st Try Correct
15 Points: Time of 1st Try Correct
A winner will be selected from those with the most points at the end of the game week
FRANCE
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 39/42 (92.8%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 6/42 (14.2%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 6/42 (14.2%)
- Dany Priso (Cameroon) - Residency (2008)
- Uini Atonio (New Zealand) - Residency (2014)
- Giorgi Beria (Georgia) - Residency (2002)
- Joshua Brennan (Ireland) - Residency (2005)
- Emmanuel Meafou (New Zealand) - Residency (2023)
- Émilien Gailleton (England) - Parent
IRELAND
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 30/36 (83.3%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 9/36 (25%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 9/36 (25%)
- Rob Herring (South Africa) - Grandparent
- Finlay Bealham (Australia) - Grandparent
- Cormac Izuchukwu (England) - Parent
- Joe McCarthy (USA) - Parent
- Jamison Ratu Gibson-Park (New Zealand) - Residency (2020)
- Bundee Aki (New Zealand) - Residency (2017)
- Ciarán Frawley (Australia) - Parent
- Mack Hansen (Australia) - Parent
- James Lowe (New Zealand) - Residency (2020)
ITALY
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 21/31 (67.7%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 9/31 (29.0%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 9/31 (29.0%)
- Dino Lamb-Cona (England) - Parent
- Sebastian Negri (Zimbabwe) - Parent
- Ross Vintcent (South Africa) - Grandparent
- Martin Page-Relo (France) - Grandparent
- Stephen Varney (Wales) - Parent
- Juan Ignacio Brex (Argentina) - Grandparent
- Montana Ioane (Australia) - Residency (2020)
- Ange Capuozzo (France) - Parent
- Matt Gallagher (England) - Parent
SCOTLAND
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 26/48 (56.2%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 22/48 (45.8%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 22/48 (45.8%)
- Nathan McBeth (South Africa) - Grandparent
- Pierre Schoeman (South Africa) - Residency (2021)
- Ewan Ashman (Canada) - Parent
- Dylan Richardson (South Africa) - Parent
- Will Hurd (England) - Grandparent
- Cameron Henderson (Hong Kong) - Parent
- Ewan Johnson (England) - Parent
- Marshall Sykes (England) - Grandparent
- Josh Bayliss (England) - Grandparent
- Jack Dempsey (Australia) - Grandparent
- Alexander Masibaka (Australia) - Parent
- Ali Price (England) - Parent
- Ben White (England) - Grandparent
- Fergus Burke (New Zealand) - Grandparent
- Tom Jordan (New Zealand) - Residency (2024)
- Rory Hutchinson (England) - Grandparent
- Cameron Redpath (France) - Parent
- Sione Tuipulotu (Australia) - Grandparent
- Arron Reed (England) - Parent
- Kyle Rowe (England) - Cumulative Residency
- Duhan van der Merwe (South Africa) - Residency (2020)
WALES
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 26/34 (76.4%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 10/34 (29.4%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 10/34 (29.4%)
- WillGriff John (England) - Parent
- Henry Thomas (England) - Parent
- Will Rowlands (England) - Parent
- Freddie Thomas (England) - Grandparent
- Christ Tshiunza (DR Congo) - Residency (2015)
- James Botham (Wales) - Born in Wales
- Taulupe Faletau (Tonga) - Residency (2001)
- Ellis Bevan (England) - Parent
- Nick Tompkins (England) - Grandparent
- Blair Murray (New Zealand) - Parent
- Ellis Mee (England) - Parent
EDITORS PICKS:
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- Alan Shearer’s daughter is marrying England Rugby star
- Scotland vs Ireland referee is hated by former England boss Eddie Jones
- Statement: RFU confirms they plan to reduce the capacity of Allianz Stadium (Twickenham)
- Immanuel Feyi-Wabaso makes shock return to the England squad
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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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