The Australian Rugby Federation has decided to modify an important rule. Now, any Australian player becomes selectable.
Big change to come in Australia. Indeed, the Local Rugby Federation has decided to modify a more than important rule, which so far favored rugby players evolving in the different local franchises. Now, any Australian player becomes selectable, without the slightest restriction. This means that even an Australian evolving abroad can now be called to the national team.
Current coach of Wallabies, Joe Schmidt is therefore now found with more possibilities. On this subject, Peter Horne, the director of high performance of the Australian Federation, notably said, in remarks reported by
The team : “Joe (Schmidt, the coach) has no obstacle, he can select whoever he wants. An announcement which also comes two days before the Australian list planned for rugby championship, the competition which allows the four major selections of the southern hemisphere, namely South Africa, Argentina, Australia as well as New Zealand, to compete.
The definitively abandoned “giteau law”
For a very long time, Australia prohibited its players who made the decision to continue their club careers abroad to be able to wear the jersey of the national team. Rugby Australia then adopted the “Giteau law” in 2015. The latter bears the name of Matt Giteau, the former opening half of the Toulon club, between 2011 and 2017. She had allowed him, as well as any other player who played a total of 60 games with Australia as well as seven seasons of super rugby, to be called in selection.
She had then gradually suffered softening. This had allowed, in particular, at the second line of La Rochelle Will Skelton to also, again, wear the Wallabies jersey. This law is therefore ultimately officially abandoned, after, in particular, the departures of the Taniela Tupou pillar, at Racing 92, and the third line Tom Hooper, in Exeter in England, for the next season.
