Pick your best team Giteau backs moves to change rule named after him

Wallabies great Matt Giteau has backed Rugby Australia’s call to scrap the rule named after him.

The Herald on Sunday revealed the controversial Giteau Law - which allows the Wallabies to pick players based abroad only if they have 60 Tests and seven seasons Super Rugby experience - will be scrapped as soon as this year’s spring tour.

Giteau took to Twitter to cheekily suggest the eventual change to the eligibility laws shouldn’t mean his name is removed from RA’s rule books.10

When contacted by the Herald, the 103-Test Wallaby endorsed the move.

“My point of view on it - for me, it was unreal that they brought in a rule which allowed myself and Drew [Mitchell] to be available for a World Cup and for me to get to 100 Tests. For that, I’m forever grateful,” Giteau said. “But moving forward, I think the Wallabies need to do whatever they can to be as competitive as they can.

“If that means picking players from other competitions if they’re playing overseas and that’s going to make the national team better, it will ultimately make rugby union better and something that kids want to get involved in.”

While the primary argument of those opposed to changing the rule revolves around the possibility of a player drain, Giteau believes the only way to inspire the next generation is to restore the Wallabies as a team which wins silverware.

Picking the handful of players based overseas that would make an immediate impact on Dave Rennie’s best 23 would certainly help that process.

“Winning is at the essence of sport,” Giteau said. “It’s the core of sport at the highest level. Juniors and everything else it’s about developing kids and playing for fun and playing with your mates and learning the great values you can get from sport.

“At the highest level, like the Wallabies, ultimately, it’s about winning. Pick your best team and be as strong as you can. I’m all for any choice the people higher up make if it’s going to benefit the Wallabies and Australian rugby.”

The other player who benefited from the rule change ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Mitchell, took to social media to share his view on the controversial subject.

“People talking about the fact it would cause an ‘exodus’ of players heading overseas clearly haven’t seen the amount of people already leaving our shores anyway,” Mitchell said. “The Wallabies is the greatest rugby union representative team in Australia. Pick the best!”

Sam is a sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.

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