England allowed to pick Springboks-tied centre as World Rugby give greenlight under ‘exceptional circumstances’
Benhard Janse van Rensburg and an inset of England head coach Steve Borthwick.
England’s centre stocks look set to be significantly boosted next year with World Rugby making an exception for Benhard Janse van Rensburg.
It’s yet another boost for England boss Steve Borthwick following the news that former Harlequins centre Joe Marchant would be returning to PREM Rugby next season.
Centre stocks boosted
Marchant was part of Borthwick’s 2023 Rugby World Cup squad, but signed a deal to join French Top 14 club Stade Francais following the tournament, which made him ineligible for England selection. However, that will change when he joins Alex Sanderson’s Sale Sharks next season.
Janse van Rensburg’s eligibility is far more complicated as the South African-born Bristol Bears star is currently tied to his home country after playing for the South African U20s back in 2016.
Between 2015 and 2017, the U20s was a ‘capture’ side for South Africa, meaning that players who played for the team would only be able to change their international allegiance through a birthright right transfer – a parent or grandparent who was born in the country they wished to change to.
According to a report by Telegraph Sport, England have successfully appealed Janse van Rensburg’s tie to South Africa and the Springboks with World Rugby on the grounds of “exceptional circumstances”.
It is reported that the Rugby Football Union argued that his 20 minutes off the bench in South Africa’s third-four play-off in 2016, having not played a single minute previously in the tournament, should not forever preclude a player from international rugby.
Janse van Rensburg flew to Manchester on the Friday before the Saturday match and returned home on the Sunday back in 2016. Additionally, the Springboks have not shown interest in the Bears star’s services despite his form in PREM Rugby.
The line of argument was sufficient for World Rugby, according to the report, and from the start of the 2026/27 season, he will be eligible to be selected by Borthwick.
Janse van Rensburg arrived in the United Kingdom back in 2021 and has played for the likes of London Irish and Bristol. By the start of next season, he will have completed his five-year residency required to switch international allegiance.
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Others likely to be snubbed
The report adds that Janse van Rensburg’s case was considered to be a unique one by both the RFU and World Rugby, and the likes of Hanro Liebenberg and Jacques Vermeulen, who also played for South Africa U20s during that period, would have less of a chance in successfully arguing their cases.
Vermeulen has openly hit out at the regulations preventing him from playing for England, citing that Pierre Schoeman and Duhan van der Merwe both represented South Africa at the youth level and have since gone on to represent Scotland despite not having any birthright ties.
The British and Irish Lions duo both played for the u20s when the team did not ‘capture’ players.
“It’s very frustrating,” he told BBC Radio Devon back in November 2024.
“I don’t know why they’re stopping it because how can they say when you were 19 or 20 years old now you’re capped for a country, but you played for the Under-20s.
“I don’t think they can still keep you underneath that because if you go – look how many guys are playing for Scotland that were playing for Junior Boks, guys like Duhan van der Merwe, Pierre Schoeman, like there’s so many guys.
“I get really angry about it because I’m like, how can you stop a guy after they played 10 years ago for a country.”
