Henry Arundell has signed a contract extension with French club Racing 92 until 2026; the 21-year-old initially joined on a one-year deal in July after London Irish went into administration; RFU rules currently only allow players based in England to be selected for the national team
Tuesday 12 December 2023 17:52, UK
Henry Arundell has signed a contract extension with French club Racing 92 which likely rules him out of playing for England until 2026.
The 21-year-old had initially signed a one-year contract with the Parisian club in July after London Irish fell into administration the month before.
Rugby Football Union rules currently only allow those players based in England to be selected for the national team.
Arundell, who has won 10 caps since making his senior England debut on the tour of Australia in July 2022, was part of this year's World Cup squad that claimed the bronze medal, scoring five tries in the pool-stage win over Chile.
Racing president Laurent Travers said upon the announcement of Arundell's extension on Tuesday: "He fits perfectly into the club's short and medium-term objectives.
"We are convinced that he will be one of the driving forces to achieve them.
"He joined our squad just a few weeks ago but has already demonstrated all these qualities of a great competitor and great maturity."
RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney had suggested in October that Arundell would still be allowed to represent England in the Six Nations, which begin in February, due to the 'special circumstances' rule following the demise of London Irish.
But Sky Sports now understands that is no longer the case, with Arundell reportedly required to have signed a hybrid contract with the RFU and another club in order to remain eligible for selection.
Bath were rumoured to be the front-runners for the youngster's signature in such a scenario, but news of his extension with Racing has extinguished that possibility and has likely suspended his international career for now.
