Rugby World Cup: List of players switching allegiance for 2023 RWC

Here is a comprehensive list of the 20 players set to play for a different Test nation at the 2023 Rugby World Cup than the ones they were first cap for at international level.

With less than three months to go until this year’s Rugby World Cup, the competing nations are ramping up their preparations with coaches tasked with making some big selection calls as they trim down their squads.

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WHY CAPPED PLAYERS CAN PLAY FOR DIFFERENT NATION AT RWC

In 2021, the World Rugby Council approved dramatic eligibility changes to international rugby that allows players to represent a second nation after a three-year stand-down period from their last ‘binding’ representative appearance for their first nation.

In essence, players can change allegiances if they were born in the country they want to represent or have a parent or grandparent born there and this kind of allegiance switch can only been done once in a player’s career and cannot be reversed.

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Several capped All Blacks and Wallabies have opted to switch allegiance to the Paficifc Island nations, with Tonga being the biggest beneficiary to date.

So far, Tonga have been able to select 10 star players, who already Test experience, in their squad.

The Springboks have also made use of the eligibility change by bringing former Ireland lock Jean Kleyn into their squad. Kleyn, who previously played for the Stormers, is a South African-born player hailing from Somerset West in the Western Cape.

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PLAYERS SET TO SWTICH ALLEGIANCE AHEAD OF 2023 RUGBY WORLD CUP