In a major policy shift, Rugby Australia has effectively ditched the Giteau Law, handing Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt a free hand to select players based abroad.

Australia has torn up its long-standing selection policy that restricted overseas-based players from representing the national team – a move that could see a wave of European-based stars return to the Wallabies fold.

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The so-called Giteau Law, introduced in 2015, previously allowed only foreign-based players with 60 or more Test caps and at least seven seasons in Super Rugby to be eligible for national selection. But with an exodus of talent to Europe – including the likes of Will Skelton, Taniela Tupou, and Tom Hooper – Rugby Australia has confirmed the rule is now “redundant.”

“Joe’s got no impediment to select whoever he wants,” said Peter Horne, Rugby Australia’s head of high performance.

“The Giteau Law, it’s kind of redundant right.”

The dramatic shift means Schmidt will have full freedom to pick overseas players when he names his squad on Thursday for the upcoming Rugby Championship, which kicks off with back-to-back Tests against the Springboks in Johannesburg (16 August) and Cape Town (23 August).

It also sets up incoming head coach Les Kiss – who takes over next year – with a much wider pool of talent to build toward RWC 2027 on home soil.

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The Giteau Law was first implemented ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup to allow Toulon-based Matt Giteau to return to the national team. Before that, Australia had a blanket ban on overseas-based players – unlike nations like South Africa, who’ve successfully integrated their foreign-based stars into World Cup-winning teams.

Photo: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

The post ‘Giteau Law’ scrapped appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

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