Key Points

• Jack Willis retained the Top 14 player of the year award for the 2025-26 season, becoming only the second player after France captain Antoine Dupont to win it twice.
• Willis last played for England in September 2023 during a 71-0 victory over Chile at the Rugby World Cup and has 14 caps total.
• Willis moved to Toulouse in November 2022 after Wasps ceased operations and is now ineligible for England under the home-based player policy, though theoretically available for Ireland selection.

Willis was named player of the match in June's Top 14 final victory over Montpellier at the Stade de France, adding a fourth French title to the Champions Cup crown he lifted in 2024. He finished ahead of Matthieu Jalibert, the France and Bordeaux-Begles fly-half, and Harry Plummer of Clermont-Auvergne on the three-man shortlist for the award.

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Willis becomes theoretically available for selection by Ireland under World Rugby's 'birthright' rule, which allows players to switch allegiance after three years away from their original nation. Three years have now passed since his last England appearance. Willis's grandfather was born in Belfast, making him eligible to represent Ireland.

However, Ireland operates under similarly restrictive selection criteria to England, traditionally requiring home-based players. The union has made rare exceptions—Jonny Sexton and Tommy Bowe continued playing for their country despite moves to Racing 92 and the Ospreys respectively—but others including Simon Zebo have been excluded after moving overseas.

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Willis acknowledged the constraint in comments to reporters. "I'm a quarter Irish, but they have the same rules as England," he said. "You need to do some digging, that's your job, you find the way [around the rules]!"

Willis made his decision to remain at Toulouse knowing it would permanently remove him from England contention. The policy strengthens English Premiership clubs' ability to retain top talent while providing England with increased access and control over their players. For Willis, the trade-off was access to top European competition—a calculation that has yielded significant individual success but closed off the international stage where he earned his 14 caps.

Sources: BBC Sport and other international news outlets.

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