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Rugby NewsTuesday, 18 March 2025 at 16:26
Benhard Janse van Rensburg’s dream of playing in the Rugby World Cup for England has taken a major hit, with fresh doubts emerging over his eligibility.
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The Bristol Bears star has been tearing up the Premiership this season, lighting up the league with 14 standout performances. Since making the move from London Irish – after originally landing in England from the Cheetahs in 2021 – the former South African age-grade international has been making serious waves.
Janse van Rensburg had expressed interest in representing England if a Springboks call-up wasn’t on the cards. However, a previously overlooked rule from his past has put those ambitions in jeopardy.
World Rugby rule blocks England switch
According to The Times, the 28-year-old’s five-year residency in the UK won’t be enough to make him eligible for England due to a technicality stemming from his international past.
Back in 2016, Janse van Rensburg played just 21 minutes for South Africa’s U20 side at the Junior World Championship. But under World Rugby rules at the time, South Africa’s U20s were classed as a “capture side,” meaning that brief appearance permanently tied him to the Springboks.
Had he played under older eligibility rules, he might have been able to switch allegiance. But under the 2016 regulations, there’s no way around it – he remains locked in as a South African international.
An appeal? Not looking good…
Janse van Rensburg had been on track to qualify for England by 2026, with the 2027 Rugby World Cup in his sights. Now, his only hope would be an appeal to World Rugby, arguing that he was unaware of the rule at the time.
However, with World Rugby tightening eligibility laws and making multiple rule changes in recent years, history suggests the chances of success are slim.
For now, it looks like Janse van Rensburg’s England ambitions are over before they even began.
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WIN A TRIP TO THE 2025 LIONS:
HE PACKAGE INCLUDES
- 2 x Return flight tickets from the UK to Australia
- 2 x Tickets to watch the 2nd Test in Melbourne
- 2 x Tickets to watch the 3rd Test in Sydney
- 4 x Night’s accommodation in Melbourne with bed & breakfast (24-27 July)
- 7 x Night’s accommodation in Sydney with bed & breakfast (28 July-3 Aug)
- 2 x Flight tickets Melbourne to Sydney including airport hotel group transfers
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The winner will be part of the Lions supporters group with tour representatives on hand to oversee everything.
2025 British & Irish Lions Squad: Bookies’ Predictions for the Tour
With the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia fast approaching, the bookmakers have released their early odds on who will make the squad.
While a lot can change between now and the final selection, these odds give a strong indication of who the bookies believe will be donning the famous red jersey next summer.
The bolded players in our proposed Lions squad represent the starting XV, according to current odds.
2025 BRITISH & IRISH LIONS SQUAD (36)
BACK-THREE (6)
- Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland) - 1/16
- James Lowe (Ireland) - 1/8
- Hugo Keenan (Ireland) - 1/5
- Tommy Freeman (England) - 4/9
- Blair Kinghorn (Scotland) - 8/11
- Darcy Graham (Scotland) - 2/1
CENTRE (4)
- Bundee Aki (Ireland) - 1/5
- Ollie Lawrence (England) - 1/4
- Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland) - 2/7
- Robbie Henshaw (Ireland) - 8/11
FLY-HALVES (3)
- Fin Russell (Scotland) - 1/10
- Fin Smith (England) - 8/15
- Sam Prendergast (Ireland) - 8/11
SCRUM-HALVES (3)
- Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland) - 8/11
- Alex Mitchell (England) - 11/10
- Ben White (Scotland) - 11/10
PROP (3)
- Tadhg Furlong (Ireland) - 1/8
- Andrew Porter (Ireland) - 1/7
- Zander Fagerson (Scotland) - 4/11
- Ellis Genge (England) - 4/6
- Fin Baxter (England) - 5/6
- Pierre Schoeman (Scotland) - 5/4
HOOKER (3)
- Dan Sheehan (Ireland) - 1/10
- Jamie George (England) - 8/15
- Luke Cowan-Dickie (England) - 6/5
LOCK (5)
- Maro Itoje (England) - 1/33
- Tadhg Beirne (Ireland) - 1/10
- Joe McCarthy (Ireland) - 4/6
- Ollie Chessum (England) - 8/11
- George Martin (England) - 11/10
BACK-ROW (6)
- Caelan Doris (Ireland) - 1/5
- Ben Earl (England) - 1/5
- Josh van der Flier (Ireland) - 1/3
- Tom Curry (England) - 8/15
- Jack Morgan (Wales) - 4/6
- Ben Curry (England) - 6/4
Can you name every England Rugby captain of the professional era?
From the early days of professionalism to the modern era, England has seen a host of legendary captains wearing the armband.
Whether it's the grit of Will Carling in the 90s, the tactical brilliance of Martin Johnson, or the fearless leadership of Owen Farrell, this quiz will challenge even the most dedicated fans.
Think you can name them all? Grab your boots and let's see how well you know the men who led England into battle on the world stage!
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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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