Courtney Lawes Calls for England to End Overseas Selection Ban

Former England captain Courtney Lawes has called for the Rugby Football Union to end its restriction on selecting players based overseas. BBC Sport reported that the 37-year-old believes national head coach Steve Borthwick should be able to choose the strongest available English players regardless of where they play their club rugby.

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Lawes is again eligible for England after signing a one-year contract with Sale Sharks following two seasons at Brive in France’s second tier. He retired from international rugby after the 2023 World Cup but announced in April that he was making himself available again. The forward has won 105 England caps and has appeared at four World Cups.

The RFU’s current policy generally limits England selection to players employed by domestic clubs. That arrangement gives the national team greater access to players and helps Prem clubs retain leading talent, with those clubs receiving central payments from the governing body. English players who move abroad therefore usually give up their eligibility while they remain overseas.

According to BBC Sport, Lawes accepts the rule is intended to discourage an exodus from the English league but does not believe wider eligibility would necessarily trigger one. His position is that England should not reduce its selection pool when established internationals are performing in France. No policy change has been announced by the RFU.

Toulouse flanker Jack Willis is among the most prominent players unavailable under the rule. BBC Sport also identified Tom Willis, Kyle Sinckler, Manu Tuilagi, David Ribbans, Billy Vunipola, Lewis Ludlam and Junior Kpoku among the English players currently based in France. Jack Willis joined Toulouse after Wasps collapsed in 2022 and was voted the leading player in France for the 2024-25 season.

Lawes’ own route back into contention remains separate from his argument about eligibility. Sky Sports reported that Borthwick left both Lawes and fellow Sale recruit Joe Marchant out of England’s latest 36-player training squad, with the pair expected to prove their form after returning from French clubs. Their moves back to the Prem have restored their eligibility, but neither has yet secured an international recall.