Five women’s rugby internationals who have represented two nations

This weekend Pia Tapsell could become the first rugby player to have represented both the Black Ferns and Wallaroos.

When the two teams meet at Mount Smart Stadium for the second Laurie O’Reilly Cup clash of 2026, Tapsell may make her Wallaroos debut against the Black Ferns, for whom she made six appearances between 2019 and 2020.

Born in Melbourne, but raised in New Zealand from the age of eight, the loose forward has switched allegiances after two seasons with the Western Force in Super Rugby Women’s and has described her international recall as a “fresh start”.

In the time since her last appearance for the Black Ferns, Tapsell also spent time in NRLW with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and St. George Illawarra Dragons.

Ahead of Saturday’s clash the forward said: “Lots of people come over to Australia, new opportunities, fresh starts, and that was something that I wanted to allow myself to at least try once.

“In the past couple of years over in the Force, when everyone found out I was born in Australia, everyone kind of made it a bit of a joke. Being approached was definitely not something I was expecting, but obviously being born in Australia it was probably bound to be raised at some point.

“It [Test rugby] was always something that I really wanted to get back to. I probably never thought I’d have that chance again, so when the opportunity came up, it was not really something you can say no to.”

In the years since World Rugby changed eligibility rules in 2022 to allow captured players captured by a country in XVs or sevens once – provided they or a grandparent were born in a different country and have not represented their first nation for three years – a number of male players have switched allegiances.

Not as many players have done the same in women’s rugby, making Tapsell’s shift from all black to gold and green all the more intriguing. Here are five more players that have switched international allegiances…

Asinate Serevi | USA to Fiji

Daughter of rugby sevens legend Waisale, Serevi first made a Test rugby splash with the USA Women’s Eagles before becoming a member of the Fijiana XV in 2022.

A standout performer in collegiate rugby in the USA with Central Washington University, Serevi made her Eagles debut against Canada in 2016. Six years later Serevi followed her father in representing Fiji when she played in a Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 warm-up fixture.

Serevi then became a stalwart with the Fijian Drua in Super Rugby Women’s and retired at the conclusion of her team’s Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 campaign; with a historic win against Wales in Exeter.

Ellena Perry | England to Ireland

There are not many players that can say they represented two nations while, having retired in the middle and even given birth. But Ellena Perry can.

The multiple time JAECOO Premiership Women’s Rugby winner made 11 appearances for England before returning to the game and helping Gloucester Hartpury to their first league title in 2023. Perry returned to Test rugby five years after her last England appearance for Ireland in 2025, qualifying for the country thanks to her grandfather.

At the conclusion of the 2025/26 season, Perry called time on her playing career again. It was a perfect send-off for the prop, who started all five of Ireland’s 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations, and concluded her time in a green jersey against Scotland at a bumping Aviva Stadium.

Lucy Packer | Wales to England

Admittedly, Lucy Packer never played a game of senior international rugby for Wales. But she did represent the country of her birth in rugby sevens at the 2018 Commonwealth Games hosted on Australia’s Gold Coast. That’s something.

It was not a particularly memorable tournament for a Welsh side that also contained the talents of Jasmine Joyce, Elinor Snowsill and Bethan Lewis. Ultimately the side placed seventh overall in the tournament.

The youngest player on Nick Wakley’s roster at 18, Packer later switched allegiances to the Red Roses, qualifying thanks to her English grandparents. In 2019 the scrum-half made her Test debut for England and helped John Mitchell’s side to Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 success last September.

Lotte Sharp | England to USA

An early adopter of World Rugby’s altered eligibility rules, Lotte Sharp switched allegiances to the USA Women’s Eagles from England in 2022 when she made her debut against the Wallaroos.

Sharp has spent the entirety of her senior career Saracens, for whom the 31-year-old has regularly threatened defences and won five English league titles with. It was no surprise that Sharp got her first England cap against the USA at the 2016 Super Series.

Four years after her last Red Roses cap Clapp decided to align with the Eagles and turn out for the country of her mother’s birth. It is a partnership that has seen the wing earn 18 caps and represent the USA at Women’s Rugby World Cups in 2021 and 2025.

Mackenzie Carson | Canada to England

Mackenzie Carson was one of the first players to switch their international allegiances to England after the law changes in 2022. Between 2018 and 2019 the loosehead prop had won three caps for Canada, and later switched to England in 2023.

Qualifying for the Red Roses on birthright, thanks to an English mother, Carson has won 31 caps for England and was a member of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 winning squad, where she made appearances against Samoa and Scotland.

Earlier this year Carson appeared in all five of England’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations fixtures as John Mitchell’s team claimed a fifth Grand Slam on the trot.