Bristol have claimed that they have remain in the dark regarding reports of their player Charles Piutau a former All Black, being called into the line up for Tonga in the Olympic qualifiers in Monaco.
The former All Black last dawned the black jersey in 2015, his 15th cap for the team, since then he has shifted his focus on playing club rugby, playing for Wasps before moving to Ulster. Now the 29 year old is playing for Bristol and has been since 2018, his brother Siale who captained the Tonga team at the World Cup in 2019, also plays for Bristol.
A former Tonga U20s, reports have claimed that the younger Piutau can potentially play for a second country provided they have a passport for the country and have completed a three-year international stand down. The regulations were set by the governing World Rugby and international Olympic Committee regarding eligibility criteria of players to represent.
After the three year break, the player must take part in a n Olympic event to make themselves eligible for their new nation at all levels. So if Piutau plays for the Olympic qualifiers he will be able to play for Tonga in other competitions.
The final Olympic qualifiers for Tokyo Olympics is scheduled in Monaco this coming June 19-20. This would unfortunately clash with the Gallagher Premiership, as the semi finals will be on that weekend and Bristol is the current leader of the tournament by six points.
RugbyPass asked about playing for Tonga in an interview in December 2019, Piutau said: “I have been asked this question many times and if the opportunity arises I would be more than happy to have a crack with Tonga and be able to help in whatever way that I can for the country in terms of the rugby team. Yeah, definitely.”
Siale also told RugbyPass recently. “I do hope Charles gets to play,” he said. “He has always had a desire to get back and it will be great for the game. To see the likes of Charles and a lot of other players who could play would not only bring a buzz around our Pacific Island teams but could inspire some young kid around the world. I’ve seen it happen with the Tonga rugby league (where dual capped nationality was introduced). I have no doubts that the same impact would happen with rugby union.”