England flanker Jack Willis opens door to switching allegiance to Ireland
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Switch.
Jack Willis has opened the door to potentially switching his international allegiance to Ireland as the Toulouse star approaches the end of his three-year stand-down period from Test rugby.
The 29-year-old remains ineligible for England while playing his club rugby overseas but qualifies for Ireland through his Belfast-born grandfather.
Willis won the last of his 14 England caps at the 2023 Rugby World Cup and will become eligible to switch nations under World Rugby regulations next month.
According to The Times, Willis remains determined to play international rugby and would consider representing Ireland if an approach was made.
Significantly, it is also reported that IRFU performance director David Humphreys has previously made enquiries about Willis’s plans.
The development comes just days after Willis was named Top 14 Player of the Year for the second successive season following another outstanding campaign with Toulouse.
Asked about the possibility of representing Ireland at the Nuit du Rugby awards in Paris, Willis joked about finding a route back into the international game.
“I’m a quarter-Irish, but I believe they’ve got the same rules as England,” Willis said.
“I don’t know. You can do some digging; that’s your job. You find the route [around the rules].”
Any potential switch remains complicated.
Ireland’s selection policy means Willis would be expected to play his club rugby with one of Leinster, Munster, Ulster or Connacht to be considered for Andy Farrell’s side.
According to the report, the IRFU are not prepared to change that policy for Willis and would also not consider an arrangement that allowed him to spend a season with an Irish province around the 2027 Rugby World Cup before returning to France.
That presents a considerable obstacle given Willis is contracted to Toulouse until 2029.
The former Wasps flanker has established himself as one of the leading players in French rugby since moving to Toulouse following the collapse of his boyhood club in 2022.
While Willis has repeatedly spoken about how much he enjoys life in France, he admits being unable to play Test rugby remains difficult.
“I miss it,” he said.
“But, when you make a decision, you have to make sure that you’ve made the right one. It wasn’t my choice at the beginning, but it has been my choice to stay here.
“It’s something I always have in mind and I always want to do, but the rules are rules.
“I’ve made my decision, I can’t change anything, except if something out of my control changes.”
