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Hanno Dirksen scored in the corner for the Ospreys this past weekend. The former USA junior’s try was not enough to help the Welsh region avoid defeat against Munster.
Aged 25, Dirksen left the USA to join the Ospreys in 2009. He did so after having previously played for the USA Eagles in a non-capped match against Munster. This meant his eligibility had not, in fact, been captured by the USA.
In 2011 he was called-up to play for the Eagles at the World Cup in New Zealand. Dirksen turned-down the offer to focus on gaining eligibility for Wales. He remains uncapped. Had he made a different decision then he may well have appeared in two Rugby World Cups thus far and be eyeing up a third in Japan.
As it stands Dirksen’s involvement with the USA is over. Being South African born he lost his eligibility when he moved abroad. Indeed, despite being schooled in the USA he does no longer meet the three-year requirement. It states that a player must live in the country for 36 months immediately prior to selection.
Dirksen certainly has been a significant loss to the USA. The lesson, though, ought to be clear for others. Just because a major union shows interest there are no guarantees. He signed a new two-year deal with the Ospreys recently. It will see him remaining in Swansea until 2019.
