Israel Folau named in Tonga squad as international exile comes to an end

Israel Folau is poised to resume his Test rugby union career after being named in the Tonga squad for this summer’s Pacific Nations Cup.

Toutai Kefu, the Tonga head coach, has also taken advantage of World Rugby’s change in eligibility rules by picking Malakai Fekitoa and Charles Piutau.

Each of these three blockbuster backs previously represented other nations. Before being sacked by Rugby Australia for a series of homophobic posts on social media, Folau won 73 caps for the Wallabies between 2013 and 2018. After a spell back in rugby league, the 33-year-old is currently employed by the Japanese club Shining Arcs.

Fekitoa, who is trading Wasps for Munster at the end of the current campaign, played for New Zealand 24 times between 2014 and 2017. Piutau, of Bristol Bears, earned 17 caps for the All Blacks between 2013 and 2015.

Last November, World Rugby announced that from January 1 of this year, players would be allowed to switch nations after a stand-down period of three years provided that they had a credible ancestral link to another country or had been born there.

Folau, Fekitoa and Piutau all qualify for Tonga through these criteria and strengthen Kefu’s squad considerably ahead of Pacific Nations Cup fixtures against Australia A, Samoa and Fiji in Suva and Lautoka between July 2-16. Wayne Barnes will be among the officials for the tournament.

Tonga can book their place at World Cup 2023, in a pool alongside South Africa, Ireland, Scotland and Romania, by winning a play-off against one of Hong Kong, Malaysia or South Korea later this year. Should they do so, Kefu is confident of attracting more high-profile players.

Adam Coleman, the London Irish lock who last represented Australia in their World Cup quarter-final