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Former England centre Joe Marchant will become eligible to play for Wales in a matter of months after spending three years outside of Test rugby.
The 30-year-old made his last appearance in an England shirt at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, as he started in the third-place play-off clash with Argentina in Paris. Two weeks later, he made his debut for Stade Francais in the Top 14, having penned a deal to join the French side from Harlequins ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Under RFU rules, Marchant’s move to Stade Francais made him ineligible for selection for Steve Borthwick’s side and October 27 will mark three years since he won the last of his 28 England caps.
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At that point, he would become eligible to switch national teams, with World Rugby rules stating that captured players can change allegiances after observing a three-year stand-down period from Test rugby.
While he was born in Winchester, Marchant is believed to have a Welsh family background and, on paper at least, he could become an option in the 13 jersey for Steve Tandy’s side if he was open to making the shock switch.
However, Marchant is also eligible to play for England again later this year having called time on his spell in France and agreed a move to PREM Rugby side Sale Sharks ahead of this season.
Additionally, when his Sale switch was confirmed in November last year, the centre admitted he was eyeing a return to international duty with Borthwick’s side.
“I’d love to get back in the mix for England,” he said. “But I know that first I have to get back into the flow of the Prem and put in some good performances for Sale.”
With England returning to international action on November 8, it remains to be seen whether Borthwick will opt to bring Marchant back into the fold, with some top midfield talent already at his disposal.
Either way, the fact that the England international would be eligible to represent fierce rivals Wales after nearly 30 appearances in a white jersey has reignited debate around World Rugby’s eligiblity rules, with fans slamming them as “nonsense” and “a mockery”.
Ahead of his return to English rugby, Marchant has tied the knot with his partner Hollie Shearer, the daughter of football legend Alan.
The couple, who got engaged in November 2024 after two years of dating, got married in a lavish ceremony in Winchester, with the father of the bride making a swift return from the United States, where he had been on World Cup duty for the BBC.
Images from the wedding show the beaming bride holding her ring aloft in delight as Marchant signed the register to make their union official, as well as the couple taking to the dancefloor with the celebrations in full swing.
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