England flanker Jack Willis has hinted he could be open to switching allegiance to play for Ireland, as he remains ineligible for England selection due to the Rugby Football Union's (RFU) restrictions on overseas-based players.p>The 29-year-old Toulouse back row has enjoyed another standout season in the Top 14, being crowned the league's Player of the Season for the second year running this week. He has been unable to add to his 14 international caps since the 2023 Rugby World Cup, winning his last cap during England's group-stage victory over Chile.p>The RFU has come under pressure to loosen the restrictions, and Willis had previously hoped the governing body would reconsider the policy. The flanker is eligible to play for Ireland through his grandfather, who was born in Belfast, and could, hypothetically, switch allegiances to play for Andy Farrell's side.p>However, like England, Ireland also has restrictions on overseas-based players, meaning prospective internationals must represent one of the country's four provinces: Munster, Ulster, Leinster or Connacht.

Willis joked to reporters at this week's Nuit du Rugby in Paris: "You need to do some digging, that's your job, you find the way [around the rules]." World Rugby relaxed its international eligibility rules in 2021, allowing players to switch national sides under certain conditions, including having a parent or grandparent born in the respective country and serving a three-year stand-off period.