Henry Arundell to be available for England in Six Nations despite move to France

Henry Arundell will be available for England rugby during next year’s Six Nations despite his impending move to Racing 92 in Paris.

Arundell, who became only the fourth Englishman to score five tries in a single match during the World Cup win over Chile, joined the Top 14 club after London Irish entered administration in June.

The Rugby Football Union’s existing rules only permit players based in England to be selected for the national team, but special dispensation will allow the 20-year-old to be available.

Jack Willis was similarly able to represent England during this year’s Six Nations and at the World Cup after signing with Toulouse after Wasps’ demise.

But Willis will be unavailable for next year’s championship, the RFU has confirmed, after the flanker elected to extend his contract with the French champions rather than return to the Premiership.

The RFU has agreed that players who have been forced to move elsewhere due to the suspension of a club have a 12-month period in which they remain eligible; Wasps entered administration last October.

Fellow World Cup squad members Joe Marchant and David Ribbans have also secured moves to the French top flight and will not be eligible for selection when Steve Borthwick names his squad for the Six Nations early next year.

“It is going to be signed off in the coming weeks for Henry,” Conor O’Shea, the RFU’s executive director of performance rugby, said. “But if you take people like Joe [Marchant] or Dave Ribbans, who have gone abroad, they will not be available.

“We are awaiting the [Premiership Rugby] feedback on that exemption for Henry given a 12-month gap from when London Irish went into administration.

“That won’t apply to Jack Willis. There is a 12-month gap from when the club went into administration.”

The relative financial strength of the game in France in comparison to England has led many Premiership players to look towards the Top 14 and Pro D2 as options to maximise their earning potential.

Marcus Smith was courted by Racing before signing a new deal at Harlequins, while Maro Itoje is also understood to have been exploring options outside of the Premiership.

The RFU is preparing to offer about 25 hybrid contracts to top England players in a bid to keep them in the country, with the deals designed to give the national team more control over the bulk of their squad.

“We’ve been working with the Rugby Players’ Association to make England the best place to play professional rugby, and not just in terms of money,” explained Bill Sweeney, RFU chief executive. “I think player welfare plays a key role there.

“We want the best players in England to play in England. We are putting programmes in place to make the Premiership a better product, more sustainable, more successful, stronger and more attractive.”

Meanwhile, Arundell is expected to be left out of the England side to face Samoa in their final Pool D fixture in Lille on Saturday.

George Ford and Owen Farrell are set to be paired at ten and 12 in playmaking partnership in a side that is expected to closely resemble Borthwick’s intended starting line-up for England’s quarter-final.

Joe Marchant is likely to push out to the wing with Manu Tuilagi in line for a first appearance against the country of his birth at outside centre, and Freddie Steward returning at full-back.

Borthwick’s side are already guaranteed to top the pool and will play their last eight tie in Marseille on Sunday 15 October.