Henry Arundell is waiting for the Professional Gaming Council to confirm England's policy on non-Premier League players. Credit: Getty Images/David Rogers
Toulouse flanker Jack Willis will not be available for England at the Six Nations next year, but winger Henry Arundell is hoping to keep his clearance, Telegraph Sport understands.
Arundell was left without a club after the London Irish were suspended from the Premier League last month and were taken over by Parisian giants Racing 92. Having burst onto the scene in the 2020/21 season, Arundell made his international debut 12 months ago in England. tour to Australia, making an attempt almost from the first touch. Last week, the 20-year-old was named to Steve Borthwick's World Cup training team.
The Professional Games Council, which includes representatives from the Premier Rugby League and the Rugby Football Union, will meet this summer to reaffirm England's policy towards non-Premier League players. PGB made an exception last season for players like Willis, who was left out of a job after the collapse of Wasps and Worcester, to continue representing England in the Six Nations after he signed with Toulouse.
Arundell hopes to receive a similar release and many sympathize with him being a victim of circumstance, even as the Rugby Premier League wants to implement a tougher policy on players leaving the league. Several Premier League clubs were interested in signing Arundell, but his one-year contract with Stuart Lancaster's Racing 92 side far exceeded what English clubs had to offer.
However, that leeway would not be given to others players heading to France after the World Cup, including center Joe Marchand and second row David Ribbans, who both remain on Borthwick's training team, and number 8 Sam Simmonds, who was unable to compete in the tournament. . Jonathan Joseph, former England center, confirmed a move from Bath to Biarritz this week.
The RFU were keen to soften their own criteria, with New England head coach Borthwick stating that he wanted to pick his strongest team, and Maro Itohe and Marcus Smith were both linked with moving overseas.
However, a source close to the talks says that any player moving for “commercial reasons” will not be allowed to continue representing England while in France. In Willis' case, the fact that he turned down offers from Premier League clubs to sign a new contract to stay at Toulouse means he will not be able to compete in the 2024 Six Nations.
Telegraph Sport understands that while listed as a three-year deal, it is actually a 1:1:1 deal, meaning the 26-year-old could activate a break clause. at the end of each season. If next season he moves forward and agrees to return to the English club, he could be considered for a summer tour of New Zealand.
Meanwhile, the Harlequins are increasingly confident that midfielder Smith will remain at the club despite strong rumors linking him to a move to Arundell at Racing 92. weeks. At this point in his career, it would be dangerous for Smith to step out of the England spotlight, but Queens insiders know he wants to eventually broaden his horizons by playing in a foreign league. The Harlequins believe that Stoop remains the best place for him to continue to develop as a player, especially with his strong family ties to the club.
Joe Kokanashiga: My father is back but now I'm fighting for other veterans tests, given the stress off the field due to his father's visa issues and his mother's serious health concerns now greeted behind him.
Kokanashigi's father, Elijah, spent 14 years in the British Army, including twice in Iraq and once in Afghanistan, before being discharged in 2013.
A visit to Fiji in 2019 was followed by a visit to Fiji. Ilaithia was informed by the UK government that the stamp on his immigration exemption passport had expired, leaving him unable to return to the UK while Kokanashigi's mother was recovering from a brain tumour.
A successful campaign to reunite Ilaithia in the UK with his family followed, but Kokanashiga didn't stop there, working with MP Johnny Mercer to raise awareness of the issue in Parliament for other veterans awaiting a return to the UK.
“My goal now is to fight for other soldiers who don't have a voice, and it's an ongoing process,” explains Kokanashiga. With his father back in the country and his mother now in full health, Kokanashiga was able to focus more on himself as a person and as a player. Physically, he should have been lucky.
Joe Kokanashiga was named in Steve Borthwick's last World Championship team. Credit: Getty Images/David Rogers Twenty games for Bath last season was the most he played for the club in a single campaign, and a serious knee injury he suffered at the 2019 Rugby World Cup remains behind.
There were 13 England attempts in 15 Tests, a certain percentage of strikes, but under Eddie Jones he was often selected early in the campaign – recently in Australia last summer and autumn – before he was substituted.
The combination of 6'4″ height and speed has always made Kokanashiga a charming talent, inevitably leading to comparisons early in his career with John Lomu.
Playing this week at the English training ground in Lansbury, the 25-year-old has visibly lost 11 pounds by the end of last season after what he describes as a “strict regimen” from his girlfriend Rosie.
“I feel like I can run — it’s better for my joints and knees,” he says. Sweets, especially zucchini or haribo, were his weakness. “They can sponsor me if they want…
Kokanashiga credits his work with psychologist Kathy Maubed as motivating him. He writes regularly in his diary after training sessions and before matches, which has boosted his confidence. .
“[It helped]” is very strong, especially for men who keep a lot of things in themselves. By writing it down, you take a burden off your shoulders,” he says.
Kokanashiga. , formerly Fiji's mascot for the 2015 Rugby World Cup opening game against England, will remember his younger version as he battles for a spot on Steve Borthwick's last team in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Kokanashigi's former Bat teammate Jonathan Joseph has signed with Biarritz in the French second division ahead of next season. The club has also been linked with Wales midfielder Rhys Webb.
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