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World Rugby delays increasing residency rule to five years due to Covid — and it could be a boost for Scotland

South African prop Pierre Schoeman representing Edinburgh - GETTY IMAGES
South African prop Pierre Schoeman representing Edinburgh - GETTY IMAGES

World Rugby will prolong its three-year residency rule for another year due to the “exceptional disruption” caused by Covid-19.

Rugby union’s global governing body voted to extend the residency period from three years to five in May 2017. The rule allows a player to become eligible for another nation provided they have not represented the designated ‘senior’ representative team of a union for which they qualify on different grounds, such as birth.

England internationals Denny Solomona and Nathan Hughes have made their Test debuts under Eddie Jones via the three-year residency rule.

Similarly, Leinster wing James Lowe is in line to feature for Ireland in November, by which time he will have completed three years of residency.

The original cut-off date for World Rugby’s adjustment, marked for December 31, 2020, has now been pushed back to December 31, 2021.

Edinburgh loosehead prop Pierre Schoeman is an interesting case due to the change of date. The destructive scrummager arrived in Scotland in the summer of 2018 from the Bulls franchise in South Africa.

Under previous guidelines, he would need to wait until 2023 to represent Scotland. Now, the South Africa Under-20 international would appear to be free to do so in 2021.

Pierre Schoeman playing for South Africa U20s in 2014 - ironically against Scotland - GETTY IMAGES
Pierre Schoeman playing for South Africa U20s in 2014 - ironically against Scotland - GETTY IMAGES

“The World Rugby Executive Committee approved an adjustment to regulation eight (eligibility) in July to combat the exceptional disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic on the necessary residency criteria for players wishing to qualify for a national union,” said a World Rugby spokesman.

“Currently, the residency criteria is due to increase from 36 months to 60 months on December 31, 2020. In order to be eligible on that basis, players must meet the residency requirement and have represented their union before the cut-off date.

“In light of the exceptional circumstances caused by the ongoing pandemic, the executive committee, having consulted with unions and International Rugby Players, determined it was appropriate to extend the extend the 36-month residency requirement set out in regulation eight to December 31, 2021.

“EXCO confirmed that a player must meet both the 36-month residency requirement and have represented the Union on or before December 31, 2021, otherwise the player will fall under the 60-month rule.”

In May 2018, before officially joining Richard Cokcerill’s Edinburgh, Schoeman expressed his desire to play Test rugby.

“I'm going to work my flipping ass off to get into the Scotland team,” he told BBC Sport. “If it takes three, five, seven years, I don't care.

“If I'm good enough and get the opportunity, I'll be honoured and humbled. That's a big goal of mine.”

The 26 year-old has also mentioned a British and Irish Lions tour as an aim but, given he last played for the Bulls on July 14, 2018 - meaning he would not be eligible for Scotland until at least part-way through the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour - a place on the next trip to South Africa must be unlikely.

Three years ago, when it was decided that the residency rule would move from three years to five, then-World Rugby vice-chairman Agustin Pichot heralded a “historic moment for the sport”.

"National team representation is the reward for devoting your career, your rugby life, to your nation and these amendments will ensure that the international arena is full of players devoted to their nation, who got there on merit," he said.