{{Short description|Rugby Australia eligibility rule}} '''Giteau's law''', or '''the Giteau law''', was the name given to a practice by the [[Rugby Australia|Australian Rugby Union]] (ARU), later known as [[Rugby Australia]] (RA), introduced in 2015 to allow overseas-based Australian [[rugby union]] players to be eligible to play for the [[Australia national rugby union team]]. The policy change was colloquially named after [[Matt Giteau]], as the rule was seen primarily to bring him into the Australian side for the [[2015 Rugby World Cup]].<ref name="Smh"/><ref>{{cite news |date=22 April 2015 |title=ARU relaxes Wallabies eligibility rules, opens door to Matt Giteau for World Cup |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/apr/22/aru-relaxes-wallabies-eligibility-rules |url-status=live |work=[[The Guardian]] |publisher=[[Guardian Media Group]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424231255/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/apr/22/aru-relaxes-wallabies-eligibility-rules |archive-date=24 April 2015 }}</ref> The initial selection criteria was also dubbed the "'''60/7 Rule'''".<ref>{{cite news |author-link=Spiro Zavos |last=Zavos |first=Spiro |date=1 May 2015 |title=Spin is king for Bill Pulver and the ARU as they go about running the game |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/spin-is-king-for-bill-pulver-and-the-aru-as-they-go-about-running-the-game-20150501-1mxjza.html |url-status=live |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |publisher=Fairfax Media |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214071151/https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/spin-is-king-for-bill-pulver-and-the-aru-as-they-go-about-running-the-game-20150501-1mxjza.html |archive-date=14 February 2019 }}</ref>
In August 2025, Rugby Australia Director of High Performance Peter Horne stated that the ''"Giteau law"'' criteria for national selection was redundant and that the coach, [[Joe Schmidt (rugby union)|Joe Schmidt]], was free to select all eligible Australian players, domestic- or overseas-based.<ref>{{cite news |last=Henson |first=Mike |date=5 August 2025 |title=Wallabies scrap rule limiting foreign-based players |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/articles/c0kzx81pgmyo |work=[[BBC Sport]] |publisher=[[BBC]] |access-date=6 August 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Drennan |first=Jonathan |date=5 August 2025 |title=Giteau Law 'redundant' as Wallabies look to build on Lions success |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/giteau-law-redundant-as-wallabies-look-to-build-on-lions-success-20250804-p5mk1q.html |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |publisher=[[Nine Entertainment]] |access-date=6 August 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Giteau Law 'redundant' as RA confirms all overseas players available for Test selection |url=https://www.rugby.com.au/news/giteau-law-redundant-as-wallabies-prepare-for-trc-campaign-rwc-2027-ahead-202585 |last=Grey |first=Lachie |date=5 August 2025 |website=[[Rugby.com.au]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250806082035/https://www.rugby.com.au/news/giteau-law-redundant-as-wallabies-prepare-for-trc-campaign-rwc-2027-ahead-202585 |archive-date=6 August 2025 |access-date=6 August 2025 }}</ref>
{|class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:center; font-size: 97%" ! Year(s) ! Criteria |- | Apr. 2015–Sep. 2020 |Minimum 60 Test caps for Australia; and seven seasons at [[Super Rugby]] level. |- | [[#Amendments|Sep. 2020–Feb. 2022]] |{{plainlist| * Minimum 60 Test caps for Australia; and seven seasons at [[Super Rugby]] level. * Two extra overseas-based players (no criteria). }} |- | [[#Amendments|Feb. 2022–Aug. 2025]] |{{plainlist| * Minimum 30 Test caps for Australia; and five seasons at [[Super Rugby]] level. * Only three overseas-based players can be selected per tournament/series. }} |}
==Background== Before the policy change, players could play for the Australian national rugby union team only if they played for an Australian team in the [[Super Rugby]] competition.
Then-head coach [[Michael Cheika]] devised ''Giteau's Law'' to enable key overseas-based players to be eligible for selection for the [[2015 Rugby World Cup]]. In April 2015, the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) announced this new arrangement.<ref name="Smh">{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/australia-rugby/winners-and-losers-under-giteaus-law-20150424-1msgi2.html |title=Winners and losers under Giteau's Law |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |publisher=[[Fairfax Media]] |date=24 April 2015 }}</ref> The rule also allowed players to return to Test duty immediately if they have signed with a [[Super Rugby]] club for the following two years.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/rugby-world-cup-2015/wallabies-star-matt-giteau-cost-himself-250000-by-pursuing-rugby-world-cup-dream/story-e6frf4zl-1227585928153 |title=Matt Giteau Cost Himself 250,000 By Pursuing Rugby World Cup Dream |work=[[Fox Sports (Australia)|Fox Sports Australia]] |publisher=[[News Corp Australia]] |access-date=2015-11-02 }}</ref>
===Amendments=== In 2020, Rugby Australia approved an amendment to Giteau's Law that allowed up to two overseas-based players to be selected, regardless of the total overseas-based players in the squad, that did not meet the original criteria to be selected.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com.au/rugby/story/_/id/29849841/wallabies-relax-matt-giteau-law-criteria-2020 |title=Wallabies relax Matt Giteau Law criteria for 2020 |last= |first= |date=10 September 2020 |website= |publisher=[[ESPN]] |access-date= |quote= }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Decent |first=Tom |date=10 September 2022 |title=Rugby Australia loosens Wallabies selection policy via Giteau Law amendment |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/rugby-australia-confirms-change-to-giteau-law-20200910-p55uew.html |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |location= |access-date=}}</ref>
In February 2022 further amendments were made to the ''Giteau Law''. The new amendments would lower the original rule (sixty test caps for Australia and a minimum of seven seasons at Super rugby level) to thirty test caps and five years at Super Rugby level, respectively. However, the new amendment only allowed for three overseas-based players to be selected.<ref>{{cite news |last=Payten |first=Iain |date=25 February 2022 |title=Wallabies stars to miss World Cup as Giteau Law gets drastic makeover |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/wallabies-stars-to-miss-world-cup-as-giteau-law-gets-drastic-makeover-20220222-p59yqr.html |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |location= |access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Bruce |first=Sam |date=25 February 2022 |title=Caps cut, but spots limited in RA's new overseas selection policy |url=https://www.espn.com.au/rugby/story/_/id/33363802/rugby-australia-announce-changes-overseas-player-policy-giteau-law |work=ESPN |location= |access-date=}}</ref> Just five months after new amendments to the policy, coach [[Dave Rennie]] urged [[Rugby Australia]] (RA) to expand the overseas-based player policy to four.<ref>{{cite news |last=Payten |first=Iain |date=21 July 2022 |title=Four into three won't go: Rennie flags increase in Giteau Law limit |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/four-into-three-won-t-go-rennie-flags-increase-in-giteau-law-limit-20220721-p5b3fc.html |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |location= |access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=22 July 2022 |title=Wallabies boss Dave Rennie calls for further tweaks to Giteau Law |url=https://www.rugbypass.com/news/wallabies-boss-dave-rennie-calls-for-further-tweaks-to-giteau-law/ |work=[[RugbyPass]] }}</ref>
==Effect== Assistant national coach [[Stephen Larkham]] said the rule enabled the Australian world cup squad to benefit from more experienced players. He said ""It's not just a team that's a little bit older and therefore more experienced (but) we've got the right number of experienced guys, the right number of older guys and the right number of younger enthusiastic guys."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/rugby/rugby-world-cup-why-giteaus-law-is-more-valuable-than-creating-wallabies-milestones/story-fni2fxyf-1227568988109?sv=bd7b571290cf2dc95c2ba1e38cadcd2d |title=Giteau's Law is More Valuable Than Creating Wallabies Milestones |work=[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=2015-11-02 }}</ref>
The [[New Zealand Rugby Union]] (NZRU) Chief Executive [[Steve Tew]] said he would not implement such a rule for the [[New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand national team]], stating: "[New Zealand] didn't often follow Australia".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/opinion/if-giteaus-law-backfires-look-out-for-backflip-from-bill-pulver/story-e6frg7po-1227331039349 |title=If Giteau's Law Backfires Look Out for Backflip from Bill Pulver |work=[[The Australian]] |publisher=News Corp Australia |access-date=2015-11-02 }}</ref>
Following the 2015 Rugby World Cup, head coach Michael Cheika hoped as much as 85% of the squad would be available for the [[2019 Rugby World Cup]], including players available under Giteau's Law.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/rugby-world-cup-2015/rugby-world-cup-wallabies-keen-to-retain-bulk-of-2015-squad-for-2019-tournament-in-japan/story-e6frf4zl-1227590798325 |title=Motorsport Video |Motorsport Highlights, Replays, News, Clips }}</ref>
==Reception== Just over 12 months out from the [[2015 Rugby World Cup]], Australian forward [[Kane Douglas]], who was playing for [[Rugby union in Ireland|Irish]] club [[Leinster Rugby|Leinster]], praised the restrictive selection policy for the national team in place at the time, despite the potential of missing selection.<ref name=abc>{{cite news |date=8 July 2014 |title=Kane Douglas praises Australian Rugby Union for tough stance on Wallabies' eligibility |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-08/kane-douglas-praises-australian-rugby-union-for-tough-stance-on/5582444 |url-status=live |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140709143354/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-08/kane-douglas-praises-australian-rugby-union-for-tough-stance-on/5582444 |archive-date=9 July 2014 }}</ref> In an interview with the ''[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]'' (ABC), Douglas stated, "they've [ARU] got to be strong on their stance and encourage boys to stay and play in Australia and for Australia."<ref name=abc/> In 2015, Douglas was released from his contract with Leinster,<ref>{{cite news |date=24 July 2015 |title=Leinster releases lock Kane Douglas giving him opportunity to bid for Wallabies World Cup squad |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-24/leinster-releases-lock-kane-douglas-from-contract/6644670 |url-status=live |work=ABC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325135347/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-24/leinster-releases-lock-kane-douglas-from-contract/6644670 |archive-date=25 March 2016 }}</ref> signed a three-year contract with the [[Queensland Reds]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Stannard |first=Damien |date=1 August 2015 |title=Kane Douglas signs three-year contract with Wallabies and Reds |url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/rugby/kane-douglas-signs-threeyear-contract-with-wallabies-and-reds/news-story/25aea839e2f5f4adb8f1476b092f62a7 |url-status=live |work=[[News.com.au]] |publisher=News Corp Australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323074832/https://www.news.com.au/sport/rugby/kane-douglas-signs-threeyear-contract-with-wallabies-and-reds/news-story/25aea839e2f5f4adb8f1476b092f62a7 |archive-date=23 March 2016 }}</ref> and was selected in the [[2015 Rugby World Cup squads#Australia|Australia squad]] for the [[2015 Rugby World Cup]].<ref>{{cite news |date=8 September 2015 |title=Rugby World Cup 2015 squads |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/33912430 |url-status=live |work=[[BBC Sport]] |publisher=[[BBC]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216190152/https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/33912430 |archive-date=16 December 2017 }}</ref>
Upon the announcement of ''Giteau's law'', Australian Rugby Union chief executive Bill Pulver stated: "This is a pivotal moment for [[Rugby union in Australia|Rugby in Australia]], where for the first time in its professional history, the ARU will allow overseas-based players who have made a significant contribution to Australian Rugby to become eligible for the Wallabies."<ref>{{cite news |date=22 April 2015 |title=Wallabies to select overseas players |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/271850/wallabies-to-select-overseas-players |url-status=live |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250801125710/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/271850/wallabies-to-select-overseas-players |archive-date=1 August 2025 }}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Sports|Australia}} * [[International rugby union eligibility rules]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Australia national rugby union team}} {{Rugby football terminology}}
[[Category:Australia national rugby union team]] [[Category:Rugby union terminology]]