World Rugby to vote on eligibility rule change which could see Charles Piutau represent Tonga

A radical proposal to relax World Rugby’s eligibility laws, which could allow Charles Piutau or the Vunipola brothers to represent Tonga, has been hailed as a “game changer” for Pacific Island countries.

Tonga face England at Twickenham on Saturday missing around 20 players because of travel restrictions while dozens more of Tongan born or second generation stars are representing other countries. Under World Rugby Regulation 9, players cannot represent another nation after they have been capped for another country. Charles Piutau, the outstanding Bristol Bears full back, last represented New Zealand before the 2015 World Cup and has repeatedly expressed his desire to switch allegiances to Tonga.

That dream could now become a reality with World Rugby’s council preparing to vote on a proposal this month that would allow players to switch nations after a stand-down period of potentially three years. The player or their parents would also need to have been born in their home nation so Billy and Mako Vunipola, whose father Feʻao is a former Tonga captain, could theoretically represent Tonga in 2024 should England head coach Eddie Jones continue to overlook the Saracens pair.

Given the amount of players that Tonga along with Fiji and Samoa have lost to other countries, particularly through the residency rule which has now been extended to five years on December 31, this vote is about basic justice according to Peter Harding, the chief executive of the Tongan Rugby Union.

World Rugby determined that the process should be “fair and credible” for all parties. Telegraph Sport understands that the suggestion that the new Moana Pasifika Super Rugby franchise could act as a “capture” side for the Pacific Islands similar to the England A side are wide of the mark.

However, Harding says that having a means of preventing the one-way traffic from the Pacific Islands would help address some of the inherent disadvantages those sides face. “The best players in the world come from here, so everyone is always after them,” Harding said. “They can fill in at any level. They are always in demand. The fact there was a lockdown actually helped because it meant that not a lot of other countries have stolen our players.