Zach Mercer could now swap nations, he played for Scotland U16

Some have speculated about Mercer's eligibility to play for other nations, a topic discussed on the "Good, the Bad and the Rugby" podcast, where it was suggested he could represent Scotland. However, this is not an option.

Mercer played for Scotland at the youth level, qualifying on residency grounds while attending school there when his father coached at Glasgow. He later switched to England at the U18 level and was capped at the senior level in 2018 against South Africa.

According to new World Rugby rules, Mercer could theoretically switch allegiances, as he hasn't played for England since 2018. These rules allow players who have not been capped for three years to play for another international team.

However, the rule includes a stipulation that doesn't apply to Mercer: the player must switch to a country they were born in or where a parent or grandparent was born. Mercer qualified for Scotland through residency, not birthright, so he cannot switch to play for Scotland.

One team Mercer could play for is New Zealand, as his father, Gary, was born there. Despite this eligibility, Mercer has stated he has no immediate plans to make the switch.

“The only other team I qualify for is New Zealand,” Mercer said via Gloucestershire Live. “So unless I fancy moving to Dunedin or Christchurch, I don’t think my missus would be too happy with that right now, but who knows what could happen in the future.”

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