Month: November 2025 Page 10 of 80

Manu Tuilagi has left the door slightly open to the idea of switching his international allegiance from England to Samoa in time for the Rugby World Cup 2027. Although he has spent most of his life and rugby career in England, the powerhouse centre was born in Samoa. And a change of national team would be allowed once he completes World Rugby’s three-year stand-down period.

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Tuilagi’s last appearance for England came in the final round of the 2024 Six Nations. Since he left Sale Sharks for Bayonne in the French Top 14 afterwards, he is no longer eligible for selection under England’s overseas-based player policy.

Meaning head coach Steve Borthwick cannot currently pick him, even if he wanted to. It is a sharp change for a player who, between 2011 and 2024, collected 60 caps for England. And was long seen as one of the side’s most destructive ball-carriers when healthy.

Injuries have always been the biggest obstacle in Tuilagi’s career. Although he produced some unforgettable performances for both England and his former clubs, Leicester Tigers and Sale. He spent long stretches of time on the sidelines. Now 34, and with the 2027 World Cup still more than two years away, his physical condition remains the biggest unknown.

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Rugby World Cup: Tuilagi Nears Samoa Eligibility as 2027 Draw Looms

However, his move to Bayonne seems to have given him a new lease on life. He has largely stayed injury-free since joining the French club. This season, he has played in seven of the first ten Top 14 matches. And last year he managed to string together 12 consecutive starts—something that once seemed almost impossible for him.

Bayonne also reached the Top 14 semi-finals during that campaign, giving him more high-level rugby than he had enjoyed in years. By the rules, he would be free to represent Samoa on March 16, 2027, exactly three years after his final England match.

The World Cup in Australia begins later that same year. Samoa only just scraped into the tournament after a tense 13-13 draw. Belgium, which allowed them to qualify on points difference. Depending on the World Cup draw, which will be made next Wednesday in Sydney. Samoa and England could even be placed in the same pool.

That would put Tuilagi in the awkward but fascinating position of facing the country he represented for more than a decade. When asked about the possibility of playing for Samoa, Tuilagi was cautious rather than enthusiastic. The idea clearly interests him, but his main concern is whether he could still perform at the highest level. It was all over social media when Samoa qualified, he said.

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Rugby World Cup Final: Tuilagi Balances Samoa Dream With England Loyalty

For me, it’s still a long way away, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it. There’s a difference between being interested and being able to compete. It’s a World Cup, not a club competition. If you go, you want to go there to compete, not just go for the crack.

Tuilagi added that people have asked him about this switch many times. But his answer remains the same: he won’t make any promises until he knows he can genuinely contribute. Interest is one thing, he said, but being realistic about how you’re performing is something else. We’ll see.

If he eventually chose to represent Samoa, he would be following a strong family tradition. Five of his brothers, Anitelea, Alesana, Henry, Vavae, and Freddie played for Samoa. And his nephew Posolo, son of his brother Henry, now represents France.

Playing for Samoa would make him the sixth Tuilagi brother to wear the blue jersey. For now, though, Tuilagi says he considers himself an England supporter. He attended England’s matches against Fiji and New Zealand recently.

And said he was impressed by the quality and depth of the squad, especially in midfield. He praised the competition between centres such as Ollie Lawrence, Henry Slade, Max Ojomoh, and Fraser Dingwall. Noting that England’s depth has long been a concern finally looks much improved.

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Former England center Manu Tuilagi has issued a new explanation regarding the growing rumor of a potential international return with Samoa at the Rugby World Cup 2027. The potent midfielder, who earned 60 Test caps for England, will be eligible to turn out for the country of his birth once World Rugby’s mandatory three-year nationality stand-down period is complete.

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Tuilagi’s last arrival in an England jersey came during the 2023 Rugby World Cup bronze-medal playoff. Where Steve Borthwick’s side edged past Argentina in a tense 26–23 victory to take third place. Shortly after the event, the 34-year-old officially exited the England setup at the end of the 2023/24 season. Bringing an end to his long memory with Sharks before starting a new chapter in France’s Top 14.

While his international career with England now appears to be behind him. Tuilagi has shown no signs of slowing down at the club level. Since joining Aviron Bayonnais, the dynamic center has enjoyed a revitalized spell of form. Producing some of his most consistent rugby in recent seasons.

His impressive performances throughout the 2024/25 campaign earned him a spot in the Top 14 Team of the Season, reigniting discussion over a potential late-career switch of national allegiance. The debate is naturally intensified by Tuilagi’s family legacy. Several of his brothers, Henry, Freddie, Alesana, Anitelea, and Sanale Vavae have all previously represented Samoa on the international stage.

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Manu Tuilagi Breaks Silence on Samoa Rugby World Cup Speculation

With Samoa now plotting its route toward the Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia, many have questioned whether Manu may yet follow in their footsteps. Speaking at the EPCR Investec Champions Cup season launch while representing Bayonne, Tuilagi responded directly to the rumors that have circulated online. He loomed the subject with humor, joking about how the story originally took hold.

I did see that. The quote that I never said, he laughed. I was wondering who actually wrote it, because when Samoa qualified, it suddenly went mad on social media. For me, it’s still a long way off, and I honestly don’t know if I’ll even be able to play that far into the future. Tuilagi was also keen to stress the difference between sentimental interest and genuine competitive readiness.

There’s a big difference between liking the idea and actually being able to compete. This is a Rugby World Cup we’re talking about, not a club fixture. If you go, you have to go with the aim of competing properly, not just turning up for the experience. Whether the former England star will finally wear the blue of Samoa remains unclear, but recent years have seen a rising trend of Pacific Island nations benefiting from aptness switches.

Samoa in particular has already welcomed several high-profile arrivals, including former All Blacks fly-half Lima Sopoaga, ex-Wallabies playmaker Christian Leal’i’fano, and former England squad member Jacob Umaga, all of whom have bolstered the depth of Tusi Pisi’s group. Despite the rumor, Tuilagi stated that he has not yet been loomed by Samoan officials and has not held any debates about a likely recall.

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Rugby World Cup Final: Tuilagi Reflects on Homecoming as World Cup 2027 Nears

Speaking to RUCK, he explained that his recent focus has largely been on revisiting familiar surroundings rather than planning any international future. The center revealed that he had spent time back at Twickenham during the Autumn Nations Series and had been training at the Lensbury Resort in Teddington, a venue regularly used by England squads and their opponents.

Reflecting on his visit, Tuilagi spoke warmly about returning to a place filled with both nostalgia and professional memories. There are some good and bad memories at the Lensbury, he said. Good ones from pre-season work on those pitches, and tough ones too. But it’s always nice to come back and see everyone again. It brings a lot back.

He also admitted to being impressed by what he saw from England during the recent internationals, particularly in the fixtures against Fiji and New Zealand. Tuilagi highlighted the growing competition within the squad and the depth that head coach Steve Borthwick is working hard to establish. I went to a couple of the games, the Fiji match and the New Zealand one, and I was really impressed, he said.

You can see what Steve is trying to build with squad depth. That’s something England has probably struggled with at times, but now in almost every position, especially in the centers, real competition and quality are coming through. As things stand, Manu Tuilagi’s immediate future remains firmly in France, but with the Rugby World Cup Final 2027 now clearly within reach.

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