#2. NATHAN HUGHES to FIJI
Former England No8, Hughes, has announced that he is available to represent Fiji at the upcoming Rugby World Cup.
Hughes won the last of his 22 caps for his adopted country during the 2019 Six Nations, and with eligibility rules having changed since then, he now hopes to represent the land of his birth.
When asked about his availability, Hughes stated, “Yes, 100 per cent,” and added, “I’m just focusing purely on Black Rams and just playing as well as I can and letting the selectors do their job.”
He went on to say, “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.”
Hughes’ desire to play for Fiji has been met with enthusiasm from fans and coaches alike.
Former Fiji coach, Ben Ryan, said: “Nathan Hughes is a world-class player and would be an asset to any team. If he is eligible to play for Fiji, it would be fantastic to have him involved.”
