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The pools for the 2027 Rugby World Cup have been confirmed but several stars could switch nationalities ahead of the tournament
The draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup has taken place, with the 24 participating nations learning their opponents for the tournament in Australia.
Wales have drawn England in Pool F, while other notable match-ups see Ireland and Scotland once again drawn alongside each other in Pool D, and the Wallabies and New Zealand face each other in Pool A.
However, with less than two years to go until the tournament kicks off, there are several players who could switch their international allegiances and represent a new nation Down Under.
A 2021 amendment by World Rugby allows players to transfer once from one union to another, creating opportunities for more nations to be better represented in major tournaments.
Players are able to represent a different nation following a stand-down period of three years, and they must either be born in the country to which they wish to transfer or have a parent or grandparent born in that country. Others can qualify on residency grounds, which was increased from three years to five years in 2022.
Under the revised Regulation 8 criteria, a player may only change unions once, and each case will be subject to approval by the World Rugby Regulations Committee to preserve integrity.
Several players have already made the switch, including Charles Piutau, George Moala and Jean Kleyn, but more are set to follow suit ahead of the next Rugby World Cup.
Benhard Janse van Rensburg – South Africa to England
The 28-year-old Bristol Bears star has never represented South Africa at senior level, having played for the U20s back in 2016. However, this was considered an eligible team at the time so Janse van Rensburg was forced to go through World Rugby to sever his ties with the Springboks.
This means he could potentially represent England at the 2027 Rugby World Cup, given that he will have completed his five-year residency period and could get World Rugby’s approval.
Hoskins Sotutu – New Zealand to England or Fiji
Sotutu has fallen out of favour with the All Blacks since Scott Robertson took over as head coach from Ian Foster. The 27-year-old last played in 2022, meaning he will be able to switch immediately.
But Sotutu has two choices – England or Fiji. He qualifies for the Red Roses through his mother Adelita, but could follow in his father’s footsteps by representing Fiji.
Manu Tuilagi – England to Samoa
The 34-year-old centre has made 60 appearances for England and last represented the nation during the 2024 Six Nations. Due to this, the Samoan-born star would only be eligible to switch to his home country in the year of the Rugby World Cup.
But he has left the door open, telling Rugby Union Weekly that it “depends on if I’m still able to compete.” He added: “It’s the World Cup – if you go, you go to win and to give your best, not just so you can say I’ll play another World Cup. I’ll be 36 then, so I don’t know. We’ll see.”
Dan Kelly – England to Ireland
Kelly represented Ireland at U20s level but was born in Rochdale. He debuted for his birth country in 2021 and is now eligible for Ireland, having qualified through his grandparents.
The 24-year-old has already represented the Ireland A team and could make the switch if selected by Andy Farrell.
David Ribbans – England to South Africa
South African-born Ribbans qualified for England on ancestry grounds but last played for the country at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, meaning he would be eligible to switch allegiances next autumn. However, he is keen not to ruffle any feathers when discussing a potential switch.
Speaking to Planet Rugby, the 30-year-old said: “Look, I’m aware of reports last week about international futures and one thing I’ll stress is I don’t like the concept of changing countries for convenience.
“I played for England, and for sure, I’d love to do that again – so that is a desire, for sure.”
Nepo Laulala – New Zealand to Samoa
Laulala last represented New Zealand at the 2023 Rugby World Cup and has won 53 caps since his debut in 2015. Born in Samoa, the 34-year-old could make the switch to the Pacific Island nation in November 2026 before the next major tournament.
Akira Ioane – New Zealand to Samoa
Ioane, older brother of All Blacks star Rieko Ioane, last represented New Zealand in 2022. The 30-year-old fell out of favour with Ian Foster before his exit and is yet to be selected by Scott Robertson. Now, he could follow his father, Eddie Ioane, in representing Samoa.
Shannon Frizell – New Zealand to Tonga
Frizell last played for New Zealand at the 2023 Rugby World Cup and could switch his allegiance to his country of birth before the next tournament Down Under. The 31-year-old will become eligible to do so from October next year.
Tyrone Green – South Africa to England
Green starred for the South African U20s team but is eligible to make the switch and represent England as early as 2026. However, the 27-year-old told Planet Rugby in 2024 that he would wait to make a decision in order to focus on his club side Harlequins.
He said: “That’s a bridge I’d have to cross when I get there. But at the moment I’m putting all international things behind me and try to get more silverware at Harlequins.”
Folau Fakatava – New Zealand to Tonga
The Tongan-born scrum-half last played for New Zealand in 2022 and most recently represented the All Blacks XV. However, this is not considered eligible and he could switch to the country of his birth ahead of the Rugby World Cup.
Ngani Laumape – New Zealand to Tonga
The 32-year-old narrowly missed out on representing Tonga at the 2023 Rugby World Cup due to the length of the stand-down period at the time. His final All Blacks cap came in November 2020, meaning he has now been eligible since 2024 to make the switch.
He has shown interest in changing allegiances, most recently saying in 2023 that he’ll “put my hand up for Tonga.” Laumape added: “It would be a great opportunity to represent my parents’ country. I’m a proud Tongan, so if I was picked, I would definitely put my foot forwards.”
12 – Lalakai Foketi – Australia to New Zealand
The 30-year-old vowed never to play for Australia again after launching legal action this year. Foketi told Code Sport that he is claiming unlawful termination of his contract and unpaid wages, stating that £25,000 ($38,000 AUS) is missing.
However, Rugby Australia has deemed that he breached his contract after conducting promotional work with the Chiefs before he was able to do so. New Zealand-born Foketi last played for the Wallabies at the 2023 World Cup and could make the switch to the All Blacks in 2026.
11 – Rhyno Smith – South Africa to Italy
Smith will need a special exemption from World Rugby to switch allegiance from the Springboks to Italy, having represented the South African 7s team in two tournaments back in 2018. However, the full-back – who has played for Benetton since 2021 – told Rapport that he would be interested in making the switch.
He said: “The Italian union hasn’t invited me to training camps or anything yet, but we’ve already talked about my eligibility and how we can make it work.
“I know I can write a letter to World Rugby and ask if I can qualify, and there are people who have already done that. It helps that I will have been in the country for five years next year. The fact that it has been seven years since I played for the Blitzboks also helps, as does the fact I have played so little.”
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