Scotland v England: The battle for eligible Six Nations stars

Two weeks ago, 12 miles from Twickenham, Scotland parked buses on very English meadows.

In the surroundings of the luxurious RGS Surrey Hills School in Dorking, a group of potential U16 and U18 players trained under the watchful eyes of staff from Scottish Rugby’s SQ (Scottish Qualification) programme.

The scheme is designed to establish connections with youngsters who, like Ashman, Rudd and many others, live and play outside Scotland, but could one day represent its senior national team.

The SQ programme’s coaches, who include England-born former Scotland international Peter Walton, act on tip-offs from schools and clubs.

They have also set up a recruitment station at senior level rugby events for age groups, inviting those with ancestry and interests to scan a QR code and enter their details.

All countries are working to maximize their talent pool.

England are keen to ensure that Under-20 Rugby World Cup winner Junior Kiboko, who plays for Toulon and could become available for France, will continue to wear white at senior level.

South African-born center Beinhard Jans van Rensburg will soon be eligible to feature for England on a residency basis after the Rugby Football Union successfully requested a reconsideration of its draw with the Springboks.

But for countries with a smaller pool of talent – ​​Scotland has around 50,000 players in its clubs, compared to England’s 880,000 – there is a higher premium on making sure a particular promising youngster is selected to represent them.

What factors go into a player’s decision?

First and foremost, there is national pride.

Ashman said that in 2021, he made it “quite frankly” to England coaches that he wanted to play for Scotland.

However, sometimes, players can be torn between different parts of their identity.

Winger Gary Graham, the son of former Scottish prop George Graham, grew up in Carlisle. He attended a training camp with England, perhaps in a bid to impress his father in a joint interview, he told the Daily Mail in February 2018., external It “feels more English than Scottish”.

Within a year, after no longer playing for England, he made his debut for Scotland, assuring fans that he “always wanted to play for his country”.