Australia’s ‘Giteau Law’ under review as Wallabies consider future policy under new coach Dave Rennie
The controversial law, introduced in 2015, allows player based overseas to be picked as long as they had played 60 tests, allowing Michael Cheika to bring Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell back into his squad
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Your support makes all the difference.Rugby Australia have confirmed that the will review the controversial ‘Giteau Law’ and potentially alter their policy on overseas players.
The law was brought in in 2015 under Michael Cheika, allowing players based overseas who had already accrued 60 caps for Australia to return to Wallabies’ squads.
Notably this saw the inclusion of Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell in the 2015 Rugby World Cup squad, and the law has remained in place since.
But with New Zealander Dave Rennie now confirmed as Cheika’s successor, and a thorough review of Australian rugby underway after a disappointing World Cup, Rugby Australia’s Director of Rugby has admitted they will look at the law.
“Is it right for us? That’s something we’ll have to look at,” RA’s Director of Rugby Scott Johnson told reporters this week when asked about potential changes to policy.
“The reality is for the first part we need to sign the younger players and get them to play the game we want them to play, get them appropriately conditioned to play the game we want to play.”
Outstanding centre Samu Kerevi is one of a number of Australian internationals heading overseas for next season, with the powerful carrier taking up a contract in Japan.
Kerevi had been identified as a potential building block for the Australian side and has held a leadership role in the group, but has only 33 caps and thus, under current regulations, cannot be selected.
World champions South Africa had a similar policy in place, with 30 caps the magic number for the Springboks, but abandoned it in February, with different measures brought in in an attempt to keep key performers in South Africa.
Mitchell, a beneficiary of the law tweak in 2015, is worried that an exodus of talent could be triggered by a similar move, but admits that it may be the best way to turn around Australia’s fortunes.
“I’s a difficult question when relaxing the law might mean losing better players abroad earlier from Super Rugby in Australia,” winger Mitchell told News Ltd media.
“I’m a bit torn because I always want the best possible team picked for the Wallabies and that’s the way you get the results that people are thirsting for.
“I’m saying Australian rugby needs to have a pretty fluid approach to that 60-test mark and adapt to the needs of the time.”
Rennie, currently in charge at Glasgow Warriors, will arive as head coach at the end of the 2019/20 Northern Hemisphere season.
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