Manu Tuilagi: Samoa option for 2027 Rugby World Cup open

Manu Tuilagi, who won 60 caps for England before moving to French side Bayonne and out of eligbility in 2024, says he may try to represent Samoa at the next Rugby World Cup.

Tuilagi, who was born in Samoa but moved to the UK at 13, would qualify to switch allegiances under World Rugby’s birthright rule in March 2027 – three years after his last England cap.

Samoa were the final team to make the 2027 World Cup in Australia, after scraping past Belgium in a play-off earlier this month.

«It depends if I’m still be able to compete at that level,» the 34-year-old told Rugby Union Weekly.

«It’s the World Cup – if you go, you go to win and to give your best, not just so you can say I’ll play another World Cup.

«I’ll be 36 then, so I don’t know. We’ll see.»

Five of Tuilagi’s older brothers – Andy, Alesana, Henry, Sanele Vavae and Freddie – have played for Samoa, while one of Manu’s final matches for England was against them, an 18-17 win in the pool stages of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

«It’s crazy to see where Samoa are from being close to beating us in 2023,» said Manu.

«It’s tough to see.

«My five brothers have played for Samoa, maybe they will say ‘go, get on the flight’!»

Tuilagi played 20 league matches in Bayonne’s run to the Top 14 play-off semi-finals last season, a run of fitness that he rarely matched during his time in England.

Although currently out of action with a hand injury, he believes a change of scenery has helped him avoid longer lay-offs.

«I think it’s the sun and the red wine, something like that,» he joked.

«Training’s intense [in England], over there maybe not as intense.

«It’s long – on Tuesday, our big day, we will still be up at 6-7km [of running in the session]

«But the contact is not as much as in England… just in general the lifestyle is different, the way the French live is very, very relaxed.»

One aspect that is not relaxed is the atmosphere at Stade Jean Dauger. Bayonne attracted an average regular-season attendance of 16,445 – a new club record – in their last campaign.

«Before I went, I heard that Bayonne had got nominated for the best place to watch rugby,» Tuilagi said.

«Then the first home game I thought ‘this is nuts, this is club rugby, but the atmosphere is almost like you’re coming out of Twickenham’.

«It’s not like the same amount of people, but wow, they make it so big.»

Tuilagi is set to play in England for the first time since he left Sale in summer 2024, with Bayonne’s Champions Cup campaign taking in trips to Harlequins on 14 December and Leicester on 10 January, either side of home matches against Stormers and Leinster.