England fly-half Marcus Smith wants to swap nations and play for another country before his retires
Yesterday at 12:38 PM
England fly-half Marcus Smith has revealed he could one day don the colours of the Philippines after his time with England comes to an end.
Find your local Greene King and settle in for the 2025 Six Nations!
A deep-rooted connection
Born in the Philippines to a Filipino mother and a British father, Smith spent the first eight years of his life immersed in the local culture before moving to the UK. Despite earning 30 caps for England at just 24 years old, his ties to his birthplace remain strong.
How the switch could happen
Under World Rugby's eligibility rules, players can represent another country after a three-year stand-down period. That means a future in Philippine rugby isn't entirely off the cards for the Harlequins playmaker.
"My brother already plays for the Philippines"
During an Ask Me Anything session with England, Smith admitted he'd love to contribute to the growth of the sport in the Philippines.
"One day I'd love to help and be involved in Philippine rugby. My brother currently plays for the Philippines," he said.
For now, though, his priorities are clear.
"Obviously my heart and my mind are fully with England at the minute, it's a dream of mine to be wearing this kit right now," he emphasised.
A glimpse into the future
While not making any firm commitments, Smith left the door open for a future switch.
"One day that might be different, or when I retire from here, if I get that opportunity, if my body still holds up, it would be lovely to play with both," he added.
Could we see Smith leading a rugby revolution in the Philippines one day? Watch this space.
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Six players who FLOPPED in Round One of the 2025 Six Nations
Wales endured a nightmare start in Paris, suffering a humiliating seven-try defeat to France, as Antoine Dupont ran the show on his return to the championship. Over at Murrayfield, Huw Jones stole the spotlight with a stylish hat-trick, helping Scotland edge past a spirited Italy side. Meanwhile, Ireland's title defence began with a comeback win over England, who at least salvaged a losing bonus point in Dublin.
With Round Two looming, we take a look at six players who flopped in the opening weekend.
#1. Ben Earl (England)
Mail Online 5/10: “Dropped restart after England’s early opener but one strong ruck clear-out showed his menace. Made way for Saracens team-mate Tom Willis.”
Rugby Pass 5/10: “The third openside in the England back row, he was eclipsed by what the Curry twins achieved and gone by the 56th minute. While a show of wheels helped lead to the penalty that got England 10-5 up just before the break, some rearguard work wasn't up to scratch. For instance, his soft knock-on at the 7-0 restart. There were also too many missed tackles.”
#2. Josh Adams (Wales)
RUCK 5/10: “Adams hit a milestone, running out for his 60th appearance for Wales. The 29-year-old is another player who has been a welcome return for Gatland's squad for this Championship. The Cardiff Rugby player is a scoring machine, having crossed the whitewash 21 times for 105 points. But he couldn’t make much of an impact as he never really got given the ball.”
Rugby Pass 3/10: “Huge shot on Pierre-Louis Barassi showed he was up for the fight, but that attitude boiled over at one point as he screamed at the referee. Was caught out of position by Dupont, who chipped over his head to set up Attissogbe's opening try. Found himself similarly exposed for Les Bleus' second try, but that was just a result of wave after wave of French pressure. Will be sick of the sight of Attissogbe's heels and backside.”
Wales Online 5/10: “The Cardiff wing got exposed defensively on a few occasions and missed an early tackle on his opposite number Théo Attissogbé which put Wales under severe pressure”
Planet Rugby 5/10: “Was given a bit of a torrid time on his wing, although it wasn't really his fault. Put in one big hit on defence but was then slightly embarrassed by Thomas Ramos for Louis Bielle-Biarrey's first try.”
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