The 2025 Rugby Championship is an international rugby competition contested by Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The player rosters of the four competitors contain a variety of nationalities. There are differing numbers of homegrown players and Foreign-Born across the teams.
| BACKGROUND TO WORLD RUGBY ELIGIBILITY LAWS |
In order to compete in international competition, World Rugby requires players to meet player eligibility laws. Changes under the leadership of former chairman Bill Beaumont saw 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 the first country. World Rugby argued that the change will serve as “a real boost to the competitiveness of emerging nations.”
Certain emerging Nations, that is non Six Nations / Rugby Championship teams, have acquired players. For instance, with Seven and Six respectively, Samoa and Tonga have been notable benefactors. On the flip side, the changes have hurt homegrown-centric teams such as Georgia and Uruguay.
No player has made the transfer to play for Georgia or Uruguay but there are instances which demonstrate that elite powers of the sport have made use of the law change to their advantage against emerging nations. Scotland acquired Jack Dempsey and Alec Hepburn. Neither man was born in Scotland nor homegrown. In addition, Wales acquired England born and raised Henry Thomas.
South African second-rower Jean Kleyn is now a Springbok after having previously played for Ireland, including against Russia. This is, however, the only instance of a Tier 1 player returning home as a result of the eligibility law change.
New Zealand born and homegrown prop Alex Hodgman, made the allegiance change to play for Australia against Georgia in 2024. Australian Jack Dempsey played for the Wallabies in 2019 against Georgia and Uruguay and for Scotland against Tonga in 2003. Henry Thomas also changed teams to then play at a World Cup against Tier 2 teams. He played for Wales vs Georgia in 2023.
Hodgman played for Fiji u20 and was eligible for Samoa via his mother. Notwithstanding, he did not and cannot play test rugby for Fiji or Samoa after opting to defect from New Zealand to Australia. This brings into question the vision of senior World Rugby staff regarding eligibility laws changes. World Rugby chief executive, Alan Gilpin, argued that the eligibility change will boost the global game.
The eligibility law changes came following controversy. Past World Cup cycles saw teams disqualified from World Cups Qualifying due to fielding former u20 players from other countries. For instance, Spain was disqualified from RWC 2019 qualifiers with Mathieu Bélie and Bastien Fuster deemed captured based on having played for France vs Wales at u20 level. The policy which saw Bélie and Fuster captured no longer exists.
Romania qualified for RWC 2019 and were to open the tournament against Japan. However, Sione Faka’osilea was confirmed as having already been captured by Tonga. Romania was thereby disqualified and replaced by Russia.
World Rugby (then IRB) expelled Russia from RWC 2023 qualifying. This came on the back of controversy at 1999. Wales fielded Shane Howarth and Brett Sinkinson and Scotland fielded Dave Hilton. The players were not eligible. Wales and Scotland were free to compete at RWC 2023.
Prior to the eligibility alterations made under Beaumont, Regulation 8, as outlined by World Rugby, required players 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 2025 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 was delayed further.
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. Doing so assists in determining the success of individual unions in developing from age groups.
Homegrown players are identified by the color blue in the homegrown category in the respective tables. Players shown in this color are products of the team they are representing. 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 to read about Homegrown / Foreign Born at Rugby World Cup 2023
Click here to read about Homegrown / Foreign Born players in the 2024 Rugby Championship
Click here to read about Homegrown / Foreign Born players in the 2025 Six Nations
This is an original work researched and written by Paul Tait of Americas Rugby News.
    FOREIGN-BORN / HOMEGROWN PLAYERS |
New Zealand’s roster, including official injury cover, consists of 42 players. Ten of the players were not born in New Zealand. This is an increase from six in the 2024 Rugby Championship. New Zealand’s 2024 roster was 15.3% Foreign-Born while it is 23.8% in 2025. This sees New Zealand overtaking Australia to have the most foreign-born players on a roster.
Two players were not homegrown in 2024 compared to six in 2025. This is a fall from 92.3% homegrown to 85.7%. It means New Zealand is closer to Ireland (83.7%) in the 2025 Six Nations than to those of England (95.4%) or France (93.3%).
Three of the foreign-born players qualify via family ancestry and seven do so via residency. The family-qualified players are Ethan de Groot, Ollie Norris and Tyrel Lomax who moved to New Zealand as children. Norris is a rookie All Black and is a homegrown New Zealand player.
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 at high school in Canberra. His father, John Lomax, was a professional rugby league player for the Canberra Raiders.
Fellow prop Tamaiti Williams is New Zealand born but 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.
The residency players can be classified into two categories. First, players who moved as children. Second, players who obtained All Black eligibility as adults. Finlay Christie moved to New Zealand aged 7 while Samipeni Finau did so aged 13. Two of Finau’s uncles played for Tonga and one for Japan.
Wallace Sititi was born in Samoa and lived in Scotland, Japan and New Zealand a a child. His father, Semo Sititi, was a professional rugby player. Wallace Sititi started playing rugby in 2013 in Auckland.
Sevu Reece is not homegrown. He moved to New Zealand, at the age of 17, from Fiji to complete high school as did Emoni Narawa. Both qualified to play for New Zealand as adults as did rookie center Timoci Tavatavanawai who is also Fijian born and homegrown. Second-rower Fabian Holland was born in the Netherlands and is a homegrown Dutch player. He moved to New Zealand aged 16.
NEW ZEALAND
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 10/42 (23.8%)
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 36/42 (85.7%)
| PLAYER | BORN | HOMEGROWN | POS | ELIGIBILITY | OTHER REP. |
| Ethan De Groot | Australia | New Zealand | LH | Parent | – |
| Ollie Norris | Australia | New Zealand | LH | Parent | – |
| Samisoni Taukei’aho | Tonga | Tonga | HK | Residency (2017) | Tonga u19 |
| Tyrel Lomax | Australia | Australia | TH | Parent | Australia Schools, Australia u20 |
| Tamaiti Williams | New Zealand | Australia | TH | Birth Country | – |
| Fabian Holland | Netherlands | Netherlands | LO | Residency (2024) | – |
| Samipeni Finau | Tonga | New Zealand | FL | Residency (2015) | – |
| Wallace Sititi | Samoa | New Zealand | FL | Residency (2016) | – |
| Finlay Christie | Scotland | New Zealand | SH | Residency (2005) | – |
| Emoni Narawa | Fiji | Fiji | WI | Residency (2022) | – |
| Sevu Reece | Fiji | Fiji | WI | Residency (2017) | – |
HISTORICAL FOREIGN-BORN NUMBERS
2024 – 6
2023 – 12
2022 – 12
2021 – 7
2020 – 6
2019 – 5
2018 – 3
2017 – 7
2016 – 6
Australia’s 2025 Rugby Championship roster features six players who were not born in Australia. This is a record low number for the Wallabies. There were 8 in 2022 and 2023, 10 in 2024 and 14 in 2016. This also means that Australia has fewer Foreign-Born players in the 2025 Rugby Championship than does New Zealand.
Australia also begins the 2025 Rugby Championship with a higher percentage of homegrown players than New Zealand. New Zealand’s 85.7% mark is behind Australia (91.43%). In comparison to the teams from the 2025 Six Nations, Australia is slightly lower than France. The lowest Tier 1 team in 2025 is Scotland with 56.2% homegrown players on the team’s Six Nations roster.
Australia’s Foreign-Born 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 primarily developed by unions other than Australian rugby.
Four of the players not born in Australian are homegrown Wallabies. Hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa moved to Australia aged 4 and second-rower Will Skelton moved to Australia aged 10. Born in New Zealand, Skelton started playing rugby in Australia aged 15. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, formerly, Lukhan Tui, is also a homegrown Wallaby born in New Zealand. Winger Max Jorgensen was born in England. His father, Peter Jorgensen, was a Wallaby in 1992 and a professional rugby league player.
Australia called-up former All Black, Aidan Ross during the British & Irish Lions tour. Ross was born in Australia but is not homegrown; he moved to New Zealand aged 8. He played for New Zealand u20’s and played for the All Blacks against Ireland in July 2022. Fellow prop, Taniela Tupou moved to Australia to play professional rugby aged 18 and qualified for the Wallabies as an adult.
Center Hunter Paisami was born in Samoa and played for Samoa u20; however, he is not a homegrown Samoa player captured by Australia. Instead, he went through the New Zealand system. He represented Auckland at u14 and u16 levels before moving to Australia at the age of 17.
Two other roster members have curious eligibility cases. First, former Italian Coach Kieran Crowley approached Carlo Tizzano when he was uncapped. Tizzano is Australian born and raised. Second, James O’Connor was born in Australia and is a homegrown Wallaby. Nonetheless, he spent five years in New Zealand as a child. He returned to Australia aged 11.
AUSTRALIA
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 29/35 (17.1%)
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 32/35 (91.43%)
| PLAYER | BORN | HOMEGROWN | POS | ELIGIBILITY | OTHER REP. |
| Aidan Ross | Australia | New Zealand | LH | Birth Country | New Zealand, All Blacks XV, New Zealand u20 |
| 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) | – |
| Will Skelton | New Zealand | Australia | LO | Residency (1995) | – |
| Hunter Paisami | Samoa | New Zealand | CE | Residency (2018) | Samoa u20 |
| Max Jorgensen | England | Australia | FB | Parent | – |
HISTORICAL FOREIGN-BORN NUMBERS
2024 – 10
2023 – 8
2022 – 8
2021 – 11
2020 – 13
2019 – 12
2018 – 13
2017 – 12
2016 – 14
All 34 roster members were born in Argentina. Lucas Paulos is a native of Lomas de Zamora but he is not a homegrown Puma. He first played rugby for Club de Rugby Majadahonda in Spain. He attended Argentina’s win over France in Paris at RWC 2007 as a child. At the age of 16, Paulos was recruited by Mont de Marsan in France and he played for Spain u18s before returning to Argentina to play for Olivos u19. He subsequently played for Argentina at u20 level.
Of note is that World Rugby’s eligibility changes enable World Cup 2019 Wallaby Jack Dempsey to play for Scotland but do not enable Spain to ever select Lucas Paulos. Argentina voted no to the eligibility change.
ARGENTINA
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 34/34 (0%)
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 33/34 (97%)
| PLAYER | BORN | HOMEGROWN | POS | ELIGIBILITY | OTHER REP. |
| Lucas Paulos | Argentina | Spain | LO | Birth Country | Spain u16, u18 |
HISTORICAL FOREIGN-BORN NUMBERS
2024 – 0
2023 – 1
2022 – 0
2021 – 1
2020 – 1
2019 – 1
2018 – 1
2017 – 0
2016 – 0
Springboks Head Coach Rassie Erasmus named a 37-man roster for South Africa’s opening two matches of the 2025 Rugby Championship. All players selected are South African born and raised.
Erasmus selected Vincent Tshituka in July. The back-rower from the Democratic Republic of the Congo made his test debut against Italy. Tshituka fled from the Democratic Republic of Congo to South Africa with his family in 2002 to avoid politically-induced violence. The 26-year-old recently obtained South African citizenship.
SOUTH AFRICA
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 0/35 (0%)
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 35/35 (100%)
HISTORICAL FOREIGN-BORN NUMBERS
2024 – 0
2023 – 0
2022 – 0
2021 – 0
2020 – n/a (did not Compete)
2019 – 1
2018 – 1
2017 – 2
2016 – 1
SCOTLAND
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 27/48 (56.2%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 22/48 (45.8%)
ITALY
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 22/32 (68.7%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 9/32 (28.1%)
WALES
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 30/40 (75.0%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 12/40 (30.0%)
IRELAND
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 31/37 (83.7%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 9/37 (24.3%)
FRANCE
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 42/45 (93.3%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 6/45 (13.3%)
ENGLAND
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: 42/44 (95.4%)
FOREIGN-BORN PLAYERS: 3/44 (6.8%)
