Former England captain Courtney Lawes has argued that the national team should abandon its strict rule against selecting players based at overseas clubs. The veteran forward recently returned to the domestic league by signing a one-year agreement with Sale following a two-year stint with French club Brive.
Under current guidelines, English head coach Steve Borthwick cannot pick players who ply their trade outside of the domestic competition. This policy keeps several high-profile English performers out of international contention, including Toulouse standout Jack Willis, who earned the top player honors in France for the 2024-25 season.
Other nations like New Zealand and Ireland maintain similar home-based selection criteria, whereas countries such as South Africa and Scotland freely call upon athletes playing abroad. Lawes believes English rugby should prioritize assembling the strongest possible squad regardless of where individuals are employed. He stated that national selectors should utilize any necessary means to secure the best talent in order to help the sport grow and attract more viewers.
Despite his return to the domestic competition, Lawes and fellow new Sale arrival Joe Marchant were omitted from Borthwick's initial training camp squad for the upcoming season. Borthwick has indicated that both veterans need to demonstrate their form on domestic pitches before earning consideration for international duties. A comparable approach was taken previously when Owen Farrell returned from a stint in France.
Lawes acknowledged that the coach's stance is entirely reasonable following a multi-year absence from the local league. The 37-year-old forward noted that his primary focus is getting up to speed with his new club rather than immediately looking toward international selection. After initially stepping away from Test rugby following the 2023 World Cup, Lawes admitted he never anticipated playing in England again when he originally left Northampton.
Reflecting on the national team's recent performances from afar, Lawes observed that results have been inconsistent over the past year. He pointed to a strong autumn campaign followed by a difficult Six Nations tournament as evidence of underlying challenges. However, he maintains that the current player pool possesses more than enough quality to achieve stronger results moving forward.
Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC Sport. Read the original report at BBC Sport.
