IRB to shut sevens loophole

The International Rugby Board is ready to block exploitation of a loophole in qualifying regulations for Rio 2016 that enables players to switch national allegiance.

Changes to eligibility rules ahead of sevens’ Olympics debut means a player can represent a country provided they have the correct passport and have not been capped by another team for 18 months.

An appearance in just one qualification event for the Games would consequently open the door to being selected for that nation’s 15-a-side team. European player of the year Steffon Armitage is considering his options with France for the 2015 World Cup due to England’s refusal to pick anyone who is based overseas.