Tuilagi Family Lights Up French Streets with Heartwarming Dance Reunion

, Manu Tuilagi expressed his strong ties to both England and Samoa. “England is very special to me, of course, but my heart and home is still Samoa,” he said, adding that he would love to don the blue jersey of Samoa one day.

If not for a hand injury suffered during pre-season, former England centre Manu Tuilagi would have faced off against his nephew, Posolo Tuilagi, last Saturday. Instead, Manu watched from the sidelines as his new side secured a narrow 21-19 victory over Perpignan.

Despite being sidelined, Manu remained in high spirits, celebrating his team’s win while watching Posolo, who came on early in the second half for Perpignan. Weighing in at 150kg, the young Tuilagi was unable to force a comeback for his side, but the family reunion after the match remained the highlight of the day.

With his departure from England, Manu Tuilagi could now consider representing another nation, thanks to new eligibility laws introduced by World Rugby. These regulations allow players to switch national teams after a three-year break from Test rugby, provided they have a parent or grandparent born in the country they wish to represent.

Several former England players are exploring the possibility of switching allegiances, and Manu could be among them. His deep connection to Samoa, the country of his birth, could see him join the ranks of his brothers who represented Manu Samoa rather than their adopted European nations.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph

Unlike his brothers Anitelea, Alesana, Henry, and Freddie, all of whom chose to represent Samoa, Manu has been the outlier, playing his international rugby for England.

Should Tuilagi decide to switch to Samoa, he could potentially be eligible for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. However, time may not be on his side, as he would be 35 years old by then. Regardless, his potential return to the Samoan fold could add another chapter to the Tuilagi family's rich rugby legacy.

The 29-year-old, who has five England caps with his last appearance in 2018, is eligible to represent Italy through his Italian grandparent.

While Lozowski turned down Italy in 2022, the team's improved performances during the 2024 Six Nations may tempt him to reconsider. His versatility and quality would be a significant boost to Italy’s ambitions.

Lozowski’s sporting career could have taken a different direction, as he was part of Chelsea FC’s academy until the age of 16 before deciding to focus on rugby. He later joined the Leeds Carnegie Academy after completing his A-levels, and earned a degree in Economics from Leeds University.

Mercer's choice to return from France and commit to Gloucester last summer was a clear signal of his eagerness to rejuvenate his Test career with the English national rugby team.

However, the relationship between head coach Steve Borthwick and Mercer has been less than perfect the last 12 months

Mercer said: “I’ve been open with Steve, I’ve told him my opinions on it. I thought I haven’t really been given a crack which is what I feel like, to not even be given a game to try and prove myself is tough.

“I just don’t feel like he values what I can offer as a player and that’s me being honest, I don’t think he values what I can bring.

“Obviously I don’t fit into the system that he wants to run and, whether I agree with that or not, it is what it is.

“My focus now is on Gloucester and England can take a step aside for the moment.”

“Zach and I had a conversation last week. We’ve had a number of conversations over the last couple of weeks with Zach since he’s come back from injury.

“We’ve highlighted areas where players have done well and the areas where they bring a point of difference. It’s a competitive arena.

“And [we highlight] areas where we want them to develop them and add to their game. That’s the same conversation I had with Zach.

“When I’m talking to a player, I’m basing it in objectivity. I’m basing it on targets for them to go after, and then we can shape a shared understanding of what we’re seeing.

“Granted, sometimes as a coach you want something specific in

It's noteworthy that the versatile number eight holds the option to switch his allegiance to New Zealand.

This possibility arises due to his eligibility for the All Blacks, facilitated by his father's illustrious rugby league career that encompassed 21 Test appearances for the New Zealand team.

The Leicester Tigers winger, who was given his debut by Borthwick in 2023, has expressed his willingness to potentially represent Wales in 2026.

Despite earning two caps for England during last year's Six Nations, the 25-year-old hasn't been included in Steve Borthwick's squad since then. Notably, he was absent from England A's recent triumph over Portugal.

Ahead of this year's Six Nations, Gatland had mentioned Hassell-Collins several times, especially during the discussion surrounding another dual-qualified winger, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.

“I have seen Gatland’s interview,” Hassell-Collins told the Telegraph.

“I’ve got two caps for England, and obviously I’m English. But if I don’t see anything in the next few years then it’s definitely something that I would consider.

“I would qualify [for Wales] the year of the World Cup – that is, if he still wants me. Wales is still part of who I am.

"My grandma was Welsh and I still have family over there. It’s still a part of me – and I’d never turn it down – but for now it’s England for me.”

When asked if he'd be open to swapping nations, he told Rugby Pass: “Yes, 100 per cent,”

He added: “I’m just focusing purely on Black Rams and just playing as well as I can and letting the selectors do their job.

“The coaches and their staff are all in Europe at the moment and I’m not sure when they will be coming to Japan. We’ll wait until the day comes.

"If he picks me, we will make the decision then, but we have got two more games to go (at Black Rams) and we are trying to finish as high as we can up the table and go from there.”