Rugby Australia end Giteau Law, reveal new overseas player policy

Rugby Australia have ended the Giteau Law, revealing an “update to the Overseas Player Selection Policy for national teams.”

Under the Giteau Law, which was introduced ahead of the 2015 World Cup, head coach Dave Rennie was only able to pick overseas-based players who have at least 60 test caps for the Wallabies and have played a minimum of seven seasons of professional rugby in Australia.

That has all changed with the introduction of a three player rule.

“The RA Board has approved the amended policy which will allow three players to be chosen from overseas per tournament, series, or competition,” RA said in a statement.

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“For that player to be eligible for selection, they must have a minimum of 30 Test caps or have completed a minimum of five years’ service to Australian Rugby.

“National coaches will also be able to select any Australian eligible player that currently plays overseas but has contractually committed to playing for an Australian-based franchise for the following year.”

The updated policy covers Wallabies, Wallaroos and Australian Sevens teams.

Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos said: “These amendments reflect a fit-for-purpose policy which will help our national teams compete at their best on the international stage across both the XVs and 7s games.

“The updated policy follows extensive consideration and consultation, to ensure we could find the right balance between the importance of selecting players within our domestic competition structures, while also allowing the selection of overseas players as an exception, rather than a rule and only if that player has made a significant contribution to the game in Australia.

“Rugby is a global sport and we recognise the challenging environment we operate within where we realise we cannot keep all players on our shores.

“This policy shows we will continue to prioritise the players that are playing in Australia. These will be the first group of players considered for international selection before further consideration is given to any players playing abroad. Our national coaches and high-performance teams support this approach as they feel that our continued improvement on the world stage is best achieved through the localised and aligned management of our playing groups.

“Our message is simple, if you want to put yourself in the shop window for international selection you are still best served playing at home.”