NSW Waratah center Mosese Tuipulotu makes his super rugby debut as Scotland’s bid is discussed

The Waratahs scored a rare win against the might of the pound and euro last year when propsman Tom Lambert returned to Daceyville after two years in the Scottish system.

The Sydney-born and raised loosehead has signed on for two years but hasn’t gone off the SRU’s radar, sources said herald.

The union’s Scottish Qualified scheme is an organized and transparent approach to recruiting players from other countries of Scottish heritage. Irish rugby has the same program in 2017 and France has the same, with Manny Meafou, the great second rower, set to debut for France later this year.

Wallabies start number 8 Rob Valetini might have ended up in Scotland’s back row had he not turned down a three-year deal with Glasgow to stay with the Brumbies in 2019 (Valetini has Scottish and Samoan grandparents and Fijian parents). That offer, worth up to $450,000 a year according to Scottish sources, went to Dempsey instead, and Valetini made his Test debut in gold in Australia’s World Cup warm-up against Samoa later that year.

According to an audit of the competition by Americas Rugby News, 73 players were foreign-born in last year’s Six Nations squads, up from 59 at the 2021 tournament.

It is the smaller European unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland that have focused their efforts in this area, with England relying largely on the rich and big Premierships to bring out their talent. Eastwood hooker Nic Dolly was the exception as he made his England debut in 2021 after playing for Leicester and qualifying through his England mother.

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Australia has limited weapons to ward off foreign unions. They are killed by price and opportunity, with only five professional teams through which to develop promising youngsters.

The return of the Australia A program last year offered some hope. Under World Rugby Eligibility Acts, the Wallabies and Australia A and National Sevens record a player’s eligibility.

Qualified for Italy and Fiji as well as Australia, Mark Nawaqanitawase was captured by Australia A’s last year and went on to debut for the Wallabies on the November tour.

Once a player is capped for a nation, they must complete a three-year stand-down period and then qualify through regular eligibility laws. Israel Folau now plays for Tonga and Dempsey for Scotland.

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