Wallabies scrap limiting law

Rugby Australia has confirmed the rule restricting how many overseas-based players Wallabies coaches can pick has been shelved.

RA said the rule, often called the 'Giteau Law' after former Wallabies midfielder Matt Giteau, has not been enforced for some time.

"Joe's (Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt) got no impediment to select whoever he wants. That's always been the case. The Giteau Law's kind of redundant," RA's director of high performance Peter Horne told reporters.

Despite the change of stance, Horne said Schmidt would give preference to Australian-based players ahead of overseas-based players if they were deemed the same quality.

"But we've also made a choice that we select domestically if the players are of equal calibre, it's important that we invest in our premier competition in Australia."

Players such as Wallabies lock Will Skelton, who has played for La Rochelle in France since 2020, is one who would benefit from the change.

Australia did not allow overseas-based players representing the Wallabies until 2015, but when players such as Giteau and others decided to head offshore for big money contracts, RA introduced the rule.

It meant a certain number of overseas players who had already spent much of their careers playing in Australia could still be selected for the Wallabies. That's now been scrapped.

The Wallabies open their Rugby Championship campaign against the reigning champion Springboks at Ellis Park on August 17.