Ellis Genge calls on RFU to ‘broaden horizons’ with ‘contradictory’ overseas policy

England’s Ellis Genge holds a ball before the Six Nations rugby union International between Scotland and England at Murrayfield stadium in Edinburgh, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Ellis Genge believes that the Rugby Football Union’s current eligibility law is wrong and that they are potentially hampering England by keeping it in place.

Currently, no player plying their trade outside of the Premiership can be called up by Red Rose head coach Steve Borthwick.

That includes Henry Arundell and Jack Willis, who are in France, and they will be joined next season by former captain Owen Farrell.

With some individuals deciding that the lure of playing for the national team simply isn’t worth it at the moment, a debate has been raised over England’s eligibility criteria.

Standing their ground

The governing body have stuck to their guns, but calls have grown for them to alter their overseas policy.

That includes current Test loosehead Genge, who feels it is “a slight contradiction” for them to state that they want their stars to remain when the Premiership has fallen well behind the Top 14 as a product.

“When the Premiership was this great league and we had all the best overseas players coming [it worked],” he said on The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast featuring James Haskell and Jonny May.

“When you (Haskell) played at Wasps, you had Charles Piutau, George Smith – you had some of the best players to grace the shirt playing in the Premiership.

“When I came through, there was Marcos Ayerza. The young players don’t have that now, they don’t have these mental players who are literally the GOATs in our sport playing at Premiership clubs.

“For me, when three clubs have gone under and the product isn’t as good, I actually think it’s a slight contradiction saying that we want to keep the best players here where the league isn’t as good as the other leagues.

“I can see both sides of the coin but, for me right now, in the state of where the league’s at, I think we would benefit from broadening our horizons and letting people play elsewhere.”

Jonny May takes aim at RFU ‘mess’ over hybrid contracts amidst sluggish negotiations

Exodus?

The main concern for the RFU should they drop these restrictions – and probably the main reason they have kept it in place – would be whether it results in a surge of departures.

It is an understandable worry but one which Genge doesn’t believe would happen should the governing body alter their policy.

England’s outstanding loosehead also thinks that the current system is not benefiting the younger players, who may get more of an opportunity if experienced individuals head overseas.

“There wouldn’t be an exodus, not everyone would go,” he added. “I want to play for Bristol.

“You have a look at the youngsters who are coming through, sometimes they’re not given the opportunity because you have to play your England players, you have to play your internationals to a certain degree. It almost stops the talent coming through.”