England winger wants to quit for Six Nations rival after just two caps

The 25-year-old, who earned two caps for England during last year's Six Nations, has not played for Steve Borthwick's squad since.

He told The Telegraph: "I have seen Gatland’s interview.

"I’ve got two caps for England, and obviously I’m English. But if I don’t see anything in the next few years then it’s definitely something that I would consider.

"I would qualify [for Wales] the year of the World Cup – that is, if he still wants me. Wales is still part of who I am.

"My grandma was Welsh and I still have family over there.

"It’s still a part of me – and I’d never turn it down – but for now it’s England for me."

In a column for The Telegraph, Gatland wrote: "Once a player is capped, they are tied to that country, but as we have seen before, some do not feature again for long periods of time.

"Take Ollie Hassell-Collins for example. He is a player that I would have been keen on selecting for Wales but he decided to go down the England route and was capped against Scotland at the start of last year’s Six Nations and hasn’t been seen in an England shirt since.

"The truth is that I probably would have capped Feyi-Waboso during this Six Nations Championship if he had not opted to commit his future to England but I have to respect his decision. Whether it is something to do with his medical studies, I am not sure."

With Australia set to host the 2027 Rugby World Cup, Vunipola could be a legitimate addition to their squad ahead of the tournament.

Players are eligible to represent the nations of their birth after a three-year stand-down period, and Vunipola, who was born in Sydney, fits this criteria.

Having already earned 75 caps for England since his debut in 2013, Vunipola has been a key figure in England's recent World Cup campaigns, including the 2019 final and the third-place finish in the 2023 tournament in France.

Vunipola's last appearance for England was during the 2023 Rugby World Cup, meaning he would be eligible to play for the Wallabies in 2026, when he will be 34 years old. Despite concerns about his age, Vunipola's upcoming move to France could provide him with the opportunity to rejuvenate his career.

The trend of players finding success in their later years after moving to France for reduced schedules and warmer climates is well-documented, with examples such as England's Jonny Wilkinson, who went on to win multiple European Cup's late in his career.

When asked if he'd be open to swapping nations, he told Rugby Pass: “Yes, 100 per cent,”

He added: “I’m just focusing purely on Black Rams and just playing as well as I can and letting the selectors do their job.

“The coaches and their staff are all in Europe at the moment and I’m not sure when they will be coming to Japan. We’ll wait until the day comes.

"If he picks me, we will make the decision then, but we have got two more games to go (at Black Rams) and we are trying to finish as high as we can up the table and go from there.”

Lozowski, who has an Italian grandmother, could take advantage of the new World Rugby rules surrounding eligibility. 

The Saracens star, who won the last of his six England caps in 2018, could swap with immediate effect following the rule change and was approached by former Italy boss Kieran Crowley on multiple occasions.

“I have been in contact. I haven’t personally been in contact with Paolo but he has been contacted,” Crowley said at the Six Nations launch last year.

“The other two [Lozowski and Lynagh] I have spoken to personally. They have made decisions at the moment that I respect. I support them. I’ll keep in contact with them. But certainly if they were available, we’d certainly be looking at them. They are all quality players.

His 60th appearance in England's Six Nations defeat to France in March marked the end of a 13-year international stint post his naturalization from Samoa.

RFU regulations dictate that departing Premiership players lose their shot at international selection.

Manu said: "It's a tough one because you still want to play [for England] but I've learned that what you want, you don't always get. I think I'll miss it, but now I'll be a fan.

"The last two games of the Six Nations, Ireland then going to France, taking it right to the wire - it's exciting. I am excited to see the boys keep that growth going, I think there is so much growth in that team. As a fan I am so excited."

While it's a long shot, should the powerhouse centre still be at it in 2027, the then 36-year-old could switch allegiance to his native Samoa for the grand tournament.

Born with the name Manusamoa, he pays tribute to the Samoan national team, Manu Samoa, as his brother Freddie represented Samoa in the World Cup of 1991, the year Manu was born.