Foreign Born / Produced / Homegrown Players in 2024 Rugby Championship

The 2024 Rugby Championship will be contested by four teams. Two of the four rosters are entirely homegrown while two have a range of Foreign-Born / Produced Players.

Players involved for Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are required to meet player eligibility laws. The current World Rugby administration made eligibility law changes which enable eligible players to represent a second country following a three-year stand-down period after their last binding representative appearance for their first country. World Rugby argued that the change will serve as “a real boost to the competitiveness of emerging nations.”

One example is Alex Hodgman. He played for his native New Zealand in the 2020 Rugby Championship, debuting against Australia. He now plays for Australia and made the allegiance change to play against Tier 2 side Georgia in July. Hodgman qualified for Australia via (a) a parent and (b) by completing a three-year stand-down period from his last binding representative appearance.

Hodgman played u20 for Fiji and qualifies for another Tier 2 team in Samoa via his mother. However, he changed allegiance from the All Blacks to the Wallabies rather than to Fiji or Samoa. A second concern is that teams have been disqualified from World Cups Qualifiers for fielding former u20 players from other countries.

Eligibility was previously obtained by meeting Regulation 8 as outlined by World Rugby. Players were required to meet at least one of three criteria: (a) be born in the country; (b) have one parent or grandparent from the country; or (c) complete 3 years consecutive residency immediately before representative duty.

In 2024 the residency requirement is five years or ten years cumulative. Residency was extended from three to five years in 2020; however, the May 2017 decision began one year later than intended.

This article documents players that represent a country other than that which they were born in. It identifies who they are and how they qualify. In addition, the article identifies whether or not the players are homegrown; that is, where players were developed prior to their senior careers. This assists in determining the success of individual unions in developing from age groups.

Homegrown players are identified by the color blue in the produced category. Players shown in this color are products of the team they are representing in the 2024 Rugby Championship. That is to say, the team they represent is primarily responsible for the player’s development. Red indicates that the player is the product of the rugby systems of a different country.

Click here for the Foreign Born / Produced / Homegrown Players from RWC 2023

Click here for the Foreign Born / Produced / Homegrown Players from the 2024 Six Nations

This is an original work researched and written by Paul Tait of Americas Rugby News.

 

AUSTRALIA (8)

Australia’s roster contains the same number of foreign-born players as from 2022 and 2023 and fewer than the historic average. The players qualify in one of two ways: (a) parent or (b) residency. They are of two categories. First, players who arrived young to be developed by Australian rugby. Second, players who were not developed primarily by Australian rugby.

Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Noah Lolesio and Max Jorgensen are homegrown. According to his Wallabies player profile, the uncapped Max Jorgensen was born in Sheffield, England. His father, Peter Jorgensen, was a Wallaby in 1992 and a professional rugby league player before playing professional rugby in England.

Tom Lynagh is also a second generation Wallaby. His father, Michael Lynagh won Rugby World Cup 1991. Michael Lynagh’s professional rugby career took him to Italy where Tom and Louis Lynagh were born. Tom could one day join Louis in playing for Italy. Similarly, prop Issac Kailea could play for either Chile or Tonga one day. Kailea is Australian born and raised.

Two wingers were not developed primarily by Australian rugby. Marika Koroibete qualified for Australia via residency as a professional athlete in the country. He played for his native Fiji at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. Filipo Daugunu was recruited from the Fiji 7’s program in 2016 to Super Rugby aged 20. After three years he was eligible to play for Australia.

Taniela Tupou was born and raised in Tonga before moving to New Zealand on a schools rugby scholarship. He moved to Australia to play professional rugby aged 18 and qualified for the Wallabies as an adult. Hunter Paisami was born in Samoa and raised in New Zealand. He gained Wallabies eligibility as an adult; he moved to Australia at the age of 17.

New Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt obtained All Black Alex Hodgman. He previously allured players to represent Ireland when he was Head Coach from 2013-2019. This happened with the terminology of “Project Players.” Bundee Aki, Jared Payne, Nathan White, Jamison Gibson-Park, James Lowe, Richardt Strauss, CJ Stander, Quinn Roux and Jean Kleyn are examples of adult professional rugby players who were recruited to Ireland from Super Rugby and who were later capped by Ireland.

Changes to the roster saw call-ups for Josh Canham, Sam Carter and Tom Robertson on August 11. All are Australian born and homegrown. Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Hamish Stewart joined the roster on August 20. Paenga-Amosa was born in New Zealand but Australian raised.

David Feliuai, who was born in New Zealand but moved to Australia at the age of 1, also joined the roster on August 20. He formerly played professional rugby in Romania. He played rugby league as a child rugby while living in Fiji where he attended school at Marits Brothers. He was on a Mormon mission in the country but played little rugby. He is a product of Sunnybank club in Brisbane. The data has been updated.

AUSTRALIA
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 10/42 (23.8%)
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 37/42 (88.0%)

PLAYER	BORN	PRODUCED	POS	ELIGIBILITY	OTHER REP.
Brandon Paenga-Amosa	New Zealand	Australia	HK	Residency (2002)	–
Taniela Tupou	Tonga	Tonga	TH	Residency (2017)	Tonga u15
Lukhan Salakaia-Loto	New Zealand	Australia	LO	Residency (2012)	–
Noah Lolesio	New Zealand	Australia	FH	Residency (2013)	–
Tom Lynagh	Italy	England	FH	Parent	–
David Feliuai	New Zealand	Australia	CE	Residency (2001)	–
Hunter Paisami	Samoa	New Zealand	CE	Residency (2018)	Samoa u20
Marika Koroibete	Fiji	Fiji	WI	Residency (2015)	Fiji Rugby League
Filipo Daugunu	Fiji	Fiji	WI	Residency (2019)	Fiji u20
Max Jorgensen	England	Australia	FB	Parent	–

HISTORICAL NUMBERS
2023 – 8
2022 – 8
2021 – 11
2020 – 13
2019 – 12
2018 – 13
2017 – 12
2016 – 14

 

NEW ZEALAND (6)

Six players on New Zealand’s roster were born in different countries. This is 50% fewer than the All Blacks’ roster from the 2023 Rugby Championship. It is the same number from 2016 and 2020. The lowest number was three in 2018.

Two of the players qualify via family ancestry and four via residency. The family-qualified players are Ethan de Groot and Tyrel Lomax who both moved to New Zealand as children. de Groot did so as an infant while Lomax lived in Australia between the ages of 13 and 21. He played rugby league as a child in both countries and switched to rugby for his final years of high school which were in Canberra. Lomax’s father, John Lomax, was a professional rugby league player in Australia from 1993-2000.

The residency players can be classified into two categories. First, players who moved as children. Second, players who obtained All Black eligibility as adults. Ofa Tu’ungafasi moved to New Zealand aged 14 and Samipeni Finau did so aged 13. Two of Finau’s uncles played for Tonga and one for Japan. Tu’ungafasi’s father played for Tonga.

Wallace Sititi is the son of Semo Sititi who is a former Samoa captain. Wallace Sititi was born in Samoa while his father was playing in Scotland. He lived in Scotland, Japan and New Zealand a a child. He started playing rugby in 2013 in Auckland and, like Finau and Tu’ungafasi’, is a homegrown All Black.

Sevu Reece is not homegrown. He moved to New Zealand, at the age of 17, from Fiji to complete high school. He qualified to play for New Zealand as adult. New Zealand born Tamaiti Williams is not homegrown. His family moved to Perth when he was several months old. He learned his rugby in Australia where he also played rugby league.  The family returned to New Zealand when Williams was 16.

Roster alterations saw Harry Plummer added as injury cover for Stephen Perofeta and Isaia Walker-Leawere for Patrick Tuipulotu. Both are New Zealand born and homegrown as is George Bower who was added. The numbers have been adjusted following the changes. Walker-Leawere’s father is Kele Leawere who is from Fiji and played in two Rugby World Cups.

NEW ZEALAND
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 6/39 (15.3%)
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 36/39 (92.3%)

PLAYER	BORN	PRODUCED	POS	ELIGIBILITY	OTHER REP.
Ethan De Groot	Australia	New Zealand	LH	Parent	–
Ofa Tu’ungafasi	Tonga	New Zealand	LH	Residency (2009)	–
Tyrel Lomax	Australia	Australia	TH	Parent	Australia Schools, Australia u20
Samipeni Finau	Tonga	New Zealand	FL	Residency (2015)	–
Wallace Sititi	Samoa	New Zealand	FL	Residency (2016)	–
Sevu Reece	Fiji	Fiji	WI	Residency (2017)	–

HISTORICAL NUMBERS
2023 – 12
2022 – 12
2021 – 7
2020 – 6
2019 – 5
2018 – 3
2017 – 7
2016 – 6

 

ARGENTINA (0)

All players on Argentina’s 2024 Rugby Championship roster were born and raised in Argentina. They are also all homegrown players. Six players were added to the roster for the Australia series. They are Santiago Grondona, Guido Petti, Luciano Asevedo, Ignacio Mendy, Rodrigo Isgró and Justo Piccardo. All of them are Argentine born and homegrown. The uncapped Pedro Delgado, from Santiago del Estero, subsequently joined them. Matías Alemanno, Bautista Bernasconi and Tomás Cubelli were added a week later only for Eliseo Morales to replace Cubelli.

Changes also occurred before the series against South Africa. Ignacio Calles and Matías Medrano joined the roster for the first time in the tournament. Santiago Pernas was added several days after Calles and Medrano. The data has been updated.

ARGENTINA
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 0/45 (0%)
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 44/45 (100%)

HISTORICAL NUMBERS
2023 – 1
2022 – 0
2021 – 1
2020 – 1
2019 – 1
2018 – 1
2017 – 0
2016 – 0

 

SOUTH AFRICA (0)

All 33 members of South Africa’s Rugby Championship roster were born and raised in South Africa. They are also all homegrown players. Changes to the roster six players called-up on August 20. They are Steven Kitshoff, Jaden Hendrikse, Canan Moodie, Jasper Wiese, Andre Esterhuizen, and Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg. All of them are South African born and homegrown. The data has been updated.

SOUTH AFRICA
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 0/39 (0%)
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 39/39 (100%)

HISTORICAL NUMBERS
2023 – 0
2022 – 0
2021 – 0
2020  – n/a (did not Compete)
2019 – 1
2018 – 1
2017 – 2
2016 – 1