Percentage of Super League / Championship players eligible for other northern hemisphere nations playing games post season

[The Partisan]

With the NRL season now over and the Pacific teams being selected for post season games, I'm curious as to what the English Rugby League numbers (percentage wise) would be for players eligible for, and looking to represent nations such as France, Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Jamaica. 

Does it have any effect on selecting the England squad ?  

Are their equivalents of high profile players in the southern hemisphere opting for a Pacific team rather than Australia (e.g. opting for Jamaica over England)? 

The rise of the Pacific nations due to migration trends over past couple of decades has obviously assisted the international arena.  

Will anything similar occur in England or France in the years to come ? 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 8, 2025 by The Partisan

[Pulga]

@welshmagpie is your man.

[Toby Chopra]

Has anyone ever opted for an emerging nation over England? I can't think of one recently, perhaps Wales in their heyday?

The circumstances are different to the Pacific countries in a number of ways, both on and off the field.

An adjacent question is also how many Southern hemisphere based players will be playing for a Northern team this autumn (other than England)?

I see a couple of names I don't recognise in the French training squad with NRL designations, and a Country Rugby League player in the Welsh squad. 

Can't find and Ireland or Jamaica squad yet.

 

[langpark]

I think there was a time when Danny Brough could have been chosen for England but opted for Scotland instead.

Ashton Golding plays for Jamaica, but I don't believe he has ever been in the mix for England.

Muizz Mustapha, who played for England at academy level, would have worn the Nigerian colours by now, had they gone further in the WC qualfiers.

[welshmagpie]

11 hours ago, The Partisan said:

With the NRL season now over and the Pacific teams being selected for post season games, I'm curious as to what the English Rugby League numbers (percentage wise) would be for players eligible for, and looking to represent nations such as France, Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Jamaica. 

Does it have any effect on selecting the England squad ?  

Are their equivalents of high profile players in the southern hemisphere opting for a Pacific team rather than Australia (e.g. opting for Jamaica over England)? 

The rise of the Pacific nations due to migration trends over past couple of decades has obviously assisted the international arena.  

Will anything similar occur in England or France in the years to come ? 

 

 

 

 

Can sort of help you (long week so far in work!)

0.6% of SL players will play for Jamaica

1% of SL players will play for Wales

5% of SL players will play for France

7% of SL players will play for England

Not seen much of Ireland’s squad to begin formulating any early numbers at all

[welshmagpie]

Just now, welshmagpie said:

Can sort of help you (long week so far in work!)

0.6% of SL players will play for Jamaica

1% of SL players will play for Wales

5% of SL players will play for France

7% of SL players will play for England

Not seen much of Ireland’s squad to begin formulating any early numbers at all

That’s for this season solely. I’m happy to come back to this next season when I publish new lists 

[Blind side johnny]

On 08/10/2025 at 11:49, langpark said:

I think there was a time when Danny Brough could have been chosen for England but opted for Scotland instead.

Ashton Golding plays for Jamaica, but I don't believe he has ever been in the mix for England.

Muizz Mustapha, who played for England at academy level, would have worn the Nigerian colours by now, had they gone further in the WC qualfiers.

I thought that it was because he wasn't chosen for England that he took his undoubted skills to Scotland instead.

[Eddie]

There’s a GCSE Maths question in here somewhere. 

[sam4731]

On 08/10/2025 at 09:34, Toby Chopra said:

Has anyone ever opted for an emerging nation over England? I can't think of one recently, perhaps Wales in their heyday?

The circumstances are different to the Pacific countries in a number of ways, both on and off the field.

An adjacent question is also how many Southern hemisphere based players will be playing for a Northern team this autumn (other than England)?

I see a couple of names I don't recognise in the French training squad with NRL designations, and a Country Rugby League player in the Welsh squad. 

Can't find and Ireland or Jamaica squad yet.

 

Regan Grace was eligible for England but he's obviously Welsh so easy to understand why he picked them.

[Griff]

Anthony Farrell chose Wales over England - many years ago.

[Griff]

On 08/10/2025 at 11:49, langpark said:

 

Ashton Golding plays for Jamaica, but I don't believe he has ever been in the mix for England.

There'll be a few of those.  Ben Jones-Bishop has played for England Knights and has played for Jamaica many times.

[welshmagpie]

6 hours ago, sam4731 said:

Regan Grace was eligible for England but he's obviously Welsh so easy to understand why he picked them.

Wales, England, Jamaica, Cuba - he had a few choices for sure.

[arcticchris]

Morgan Knowles and Ben Currie played for Wales and Ireland respectively before declaring for England but both did so before they were really in serious contention for an England cap.

[Toby Chopra]

10 hours ago, sam4731 said:

Regan Grace was eligible for England but he's obviously Welsh so easy to understand why he picked them.

I wonder if he'd stayed in league and not got injured he'd have considered England around the time of the 2022 WC? Or was he absolutely never going to play for England? Either way, hope he comes back to league and can find some form.