WORLD CUP WINNER Tawera Kerr-Barlow has voiced his desire to play for Australia.
The former All Black made the stunning revelation in an interview with French publication RugbyRama.
The scrum-half’s international career appeared to have come to an end when he joined French side La Rochelle in 2019, as New Zealand do not select overseas-based players for Test squads.
However a new law introduced by World Rugby last year has opened the door for Kerr-Barlow to make a shock switch to the Wallabies.
The new law allows a player to change national team once in their career if they were born in the country they wish to transfer to, or have a parent or grandparent born in that country, and have been stood down from Test level for three years.
Kerr-Barlow – a member of the 2015 World Cup winning All-Black squad – was born in Australia and won the last of his 29 caps for New Zealand in 2017.
“Unlike New Zealand, Australia have a rule allowing players who are overseas to still be eligible for selection. I am available to play for the Wallabies,” Kerr-Barlow told RugbyRama.
I was born there, I have a lot of ties in this country and if the staff calls me I will go without hesitation. It would be a great opportunity but for the moment I am focused on La Rochelle.”
Tonga recently took advantage of the new law by calling up ex-All Black Charles Piutau and former Wallabies fullback Israel Folau.
Kerr-Barlow – who missed last season’s Champions Cup final defeat of Leinster with a broken hand – signed a new deal at La Rochelle last year which will keep him at the club until 2025.
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Terrible rule, should only be allowed by tier 2 nations and below, not switching between tier 1 teams.
@Kingshu: can’t have one rule for one crowd and not for the other. All people should be treated equally
@Kingshu: I thought it was only for tier 1 nation players switching down to tier 2 in order to help those nations do better and gain back on what they lost to immigration and money. Seems a bit ridiculous to allow the tule between tier 1 nations.
@Aaron Tynan: that certainly was the intent behind the rule change. Specifically it was seen as giving a helping hand to Fiji, Tonga and Samoa who supply so much. I don’t think tier 1 and tier 2 is an official designation either. When you think about it it’s hard to define, pretty sure one or two of those countries are occasionally above Scotland in rankings.
Hard to imagine Gibson Park, carbery, Lowe,aki, going back to the all blacks in 3 years time
@Seamus Kelly: does John Cooney have any exotic ancestor? It could save approximately 10,375 comments of The42 this season
@Ciaran Kennedy: Not exactly exotic but his father is Scottish, I’m pretty sure