Rugby-World Rugby amends rule to allow players to switch national teams

FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Rugby World Cup - World Rugby and the Japan Rugby 2019 Organising Committee hold news conference ahead of knockout matches - Tokyo, Japan - October 15, 2019. World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont speaks. REUTERS/Matthew Childs

(Reuters) - International rugby players will be allowed to switch national teams from next year subject to certain criteria, the World Rugby Council announced on Wednesday.

The revised regulation will apply from Jan. 1 and a player must either be born in the country to which they wish to transfer or have a parent or grandparent born in that nation.