Arabic version: باكستر يدعم سياسة اختيار إنجلترا للاعبين المحليين

According to BBC News, Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter believes England should retain rules limiting national-team selection to players based in the country. Baxter, the Premiership’s longest-serving director of rugby, said the policy is important for the domestic game and should not be changed.

Former England forward Courtney Lawes has argued that overseas-based players should be eligible for selection. Lawes, 37, won 105 England caps and returned to the Premiership with Sale this summer after two years at French club Brive, a period in which he could not represent England.

England can select players from overseas clubs only in exceptional circumstances. Baxter said there were two questions: whether England should simply make all of its best players available, or whether Premiership Rugby should be part of building the national side. He said rules were needed if those aims were to go together.

Baxter said Premiership clubs benefit from having a reason for their leading English players to remain in the country, while financial competition could otherwise become difficult. Under the current rules, England cannot call on Toulouse back row Jack Willis, Kyle Sinckler, Manu Tuilagi, Billy Vunipola, Lewis Ludlam or former Exeter player Sam Simmonds.

Premiership clubs receive central Rugby Football Union payments for England players, while the national side has greater influence over their management. Baxter noted that Ireland and New Zealand have similar policies, while Scotland, South Africa and Australia select overseas-based players. He said England should decide what it is comfortable with and stick to it.