"Oversight" - England fielded ineligible player, he's now departed Exeter Chiefs

Rugby News
Thursday, 08 February 2024 at 19:45
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Glasgow Warriors have scored big with their first signing for the 2024/25 season – none other than Patrick Schickerling.
The 25-year-old tight-head prop is set to trade in his Exeter Chiefs colors for the Warriors' badge at Scotstoun this summer, sealing the deal with a lucrative multi-year contract.
Schickerling's commitment comes on the heels of contract extensions for key players like Scott Cummings, Jamie Bhatti, and Johnny Matthews, along with Head Coach Franco Smith, all inked during the 2023/24 season.
Known for his prowess as a dynamic ball-carrier and a force in the set-piece, Schickerling boasts an impressive record of 35 appearances in Exeter colors, including seven tries.
The Namibian-born player, who left his homeland for Exeter in 2018, believed he was eligible to don the English jersey in 2021, three years after the move.
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Aidon Davis of Exeter Chiefs and Patrick Schickerling of Exeter Chiefs celebrates with the Premiership Rugby Cup during the Premiership Rugby Cup Final match between London Irish and Exeter Chiefs at The Gtech Community Stadium, London on 19 March 2023 (Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK)
However, England avoided a potential penalty by not fielding the front-rower during their triumphant tour of Australia in 2022.
Schickerling did get a taste of action in an uncapped defeat to the Barbarians in June but missed out on facing the Wallabies.
The journey Down Under was based on the assumption that he became eligible for England on residency in November 2021, given the three-year requirement for players relocating, a rule in effect when he made the move in November 2018.
However, in January 2022, World Rugby extended the eligibility requirement to five years, rendering him ineligible for his uncapped appearance.
Although he met the qualification in November 2023, his recent move north of the border will once again prevent him from representing England.

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