A former SA U20 player has been cleared by World Rugby to become eligible to play for England due to his being an “exceptional” case.
World Rugby approved a rare exemption allowing centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg to switch allegiance from South Africa to England.
The Bristol Bears centre has long been considered “captured” by South Africa due to his brief appearance for the Junior Springboks at the 2016 World Rugby U20 Championship. At the time, the SA U20s were a designated capture team, meaning players could only change nations through birthright – a hurdle Janse van Rensburg could not meet.
However, according to the Telegraph, the RFU successfully appealed his status on the basis of “exceptional circumstances”. Janse van Rensburg played only 20 minutes in the third-place playoff, having flown in as emergency cover the day before the match and returning home immediately after.
The RFU argued that such a fleeting involvement should not permanently bar a player from pursuing senior international rugby, especially given the Springboks have shown no subsequent interest in selecting him.
World Rugby accepted the argument, clearing him to represent England from the start of the 2026-27 season. By then, he will also have completed the five-year residency required to switch nations.
Janse van Rensburg, who arrived in the UK in 2021 and has impressed for London Irish and Bristol, is understood to be a unique case. Other former Junior Boks from the same period – including Hanro Liebenberg and Jacques Vermeulen – are considered far less likely to succeed with similar appeals. Vermeulen has publicly criticised the regulations.
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The ruling offers England a valuable midfield option, and gives Janse van Rensburg a potentially long-awaited path to Test rugby.
Photo: Warren Little/Getty Images
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