Fly-half Joey Carbery last played for Ireland back in November 2022, but a new World Rugby rule could pave the way for him to make a shock switch to Six Nations rival England.
Joey Carbery is no longer eligible to represent Ireland after leaving Munster and signing a two-year deal with French Top 14 club Bordeaux Begles last summer.
However, the 29-year-old’s unique heritage could open the door to a surprising international switch. Carbery was born in Auckland, New Zealand but also has English and Irish ancestry through his parents and grandparents, which makes him eligible to play for these countries.
The 29-year-old had earned 37 caps for Ireland, but recurring injuries meant that he was not able to represent his country after November 2022 before his eventual disqualification. It is a long-held selection policy, formalised by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), stating that players must represent one of Ireland’s four provinces.
By leaving Munster last summer and signing for a foreign club, Carbery broke the union’s rule. However, in his case, the recent change in World Rugby’s eligibility rules allows a one-time switch to represent another country.
The rule came into effect in January 2022 and will help Carbery return to the international stage. Under Regulation 8, players are permitted to represent another country if they meet specific criteria, including a three-year gap before the switch.
Carbery will be eligible to represent either England or New Zealand in November 2025, three years after his last appearance for Ireland. Recently, the 37-cap Ireland international gave an interview to the Off The Ball podcast, where he discussed the possibility of moving to England to play in the Premiership.
“It’s something I haven’t given a huge amount of thought to, purely because I won’t know until contract negotiation comes around – maybe in a year’s time or even earlier than that,” he said. “It’s tricky to know because, through my mum, I’m English-qualified as well in November because it’s been three years since I played for Ireland.
“I suppose I need to figure out where I am and what contracts are on the table and see where that brings me. If an English team comes looking, then it makes it easier for me to slot into the Premiership because I’m English-qualified.
“If Bordeaux wants to keep me, then it’s going to be hard to say no because I’ve loved it so far and the team is so good.”
Carbery’s comments soon became a talking point in rugby circles. The rivalry between neighbouring nations Ireland and England is well known, and switching allegiances would be a significant decision for any player.
This led Carbery to clarify his comments. The OTB podcast later sent out a statement on X (formerly Twitter), which read: “Joey Carbery has clarified to Off The Ball that his English qualification comments were specifically in relation to playing in England as an EQP player, rather than a desire to change allegiances to play for England.”
With nearly nine months remaining until Carbery becomes eligible for the switch, he has shown no interest in making the move. That said, he could still return to England in the future by signing a deal with a Premiership club as an English Qualified Player (EQP).
