[Source: BBC]

Australian rugby bosses have confirmed that the so-called ‘Giteau’s Law’, which restricted how many overseas-based players previous Wallabies coaches could pick, has been scrapped.

La Rochelle’s Will Skelton, as well as Taniela Tupou, Tom Hooper and Langi Gleeson – who will play for Racing 92, Exeter and Montpellier respectively next season – are among those who may benefit.

However, Australia say head coach Joe Schmidt will favour players at one of their four Super Rugby franchises if they are of “equal calibre” to an option outside their borders.

“Joe’s got no impediment to select whoever he wants. That’s always been the case. The Giteau Law’s kind of redundant,” said Rugby Australia’s director of high performance Peter Horne.

“But we’ve also made a choice that we select domestically if the players are of equal calibre, it’s important that we invest in our premier competition in Australia.”

The Wallabies, who compete for domestic talent with Aussie Rules and rugby league clubs, have struggled for depth and consistency in recent years – sliding to sixth in the world rankings.

The two-time world champions suffered a pool-stage exit at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

Until 2015, Australia had a blanket ban on overseas-based players representing the Wallabies.

However, with the likes of playmaker Matt Giteau, wing Drew Mitchell and prop Sekope Kepu lured abroad by big contracts, ‘Giteau’s Law’ was introduced to allow a set number of overseas players – who had served time in Super Rugby and the national team – to still be picked.

The law has been further relaxed in recent years, with players with a commitment to return to Australian rugby excluded from the overseas quota.

Centre Len Ikitau and prop Angus Bell’s forthcoming season-long sabbatical stints at Exeter and Ulster are such moves.

However, Gleeson was reportedly excluded from a Wallabies training camp, external at the start of this year after news of his impending move to France became public.

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