About Us

A new representative pathway for the travelling rugby player

Founded in Sydney, Australia in 2025, British & Irish Expats Rugby is an independent, invitational rugby club providing a community and development pathway for British and Irish qualified players living in the Southern Hemisphere and Asia.

We aim to give players the opportunity to test themselves in elite exhibition fixtures, link up with other ambitious players from similar backgrounds, and represent their heritage despite living on the other side of the world.

For players living away from home, we understand that moving into a new union can be difficult when trying to progress their careers or have an impact on a new competition. We give British and Irish players the opportunity to have their talent recognised while they attempt to crack into a new system, and provide an additional avenue for them to hone their skills.

For players born outside the UK and Ireland, British & Irish Expats Rugby gives them the opportunity to reconnect with, explore and honour their roots where no such opportunity existed previously.

British & Irish Expats Rugby gives players the chance to develop a network within the global rugby community, and potentially explore further opportunities in the home nations and abroad.

We aim to be recognised as a genuine representative team for the travelling rugby player at the semi-professional and elite amateur level.

British & Irish Expats Rugby is an independent, not-for-profit organisation. We receive no funding from, nor have any affiliation with, any unions, national teams, governing bodies or professional organisations.

Selection Criteria

Represent your heritage from abroad

British & Irish Expats Rugby selects talented players from all over the Southern Hemisphere and Asia, with the goal of developing a squad which accurately showcases the British and Irish qualified talent within competitions outside of the UK and Europe.

Heritage

To be eligible for British & Irish Expats Rugby, players must have English, Irish, Scottish or Welsh heritage, or be qualified for any of those nations as per World Rugby regulations.

Residence

Players will generally be living and playing rugby in the Southern Hemisphere or Asia at the time of selection.British & Irish Expats Rugby aims to involve players from clubs all over the Southern Hemisphere and Asia, with a focus on semi-professional and elite amateur competitions.

Values

To represent British & Irish Expats Rugby, players will ideally display an ambition to progress their rugby careers, a desire to compete at a high level, and/or a passion to represent their heritage in competitive fixtures. British & Irish Expats Rugby is built around core values of strength, honesty, courage and fairness. We seek to identify players who embody these values and promote the spirit of rugby on and off the field.

Charity Partner

Supporting CRY to prevent young sudden cardiac deaths

British & Irish Expats Rugby aims to raise awareness and funds for Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) in memory of Max Oliver

For Max

On the 5th of September 2024, Max Oliver suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while on his way to work, and tragically passed away. He was 31.

Max was a dedicated son, brother, fiancé, friend, and an undeniable legend of Bishop's Stortford RFC. Max was a teammate in the truest sense, and had a knack for bringing people together and making them feel welcome - always with a huge smile on his face, and often a beer in hand.

Max embodied the spirit of rugby, and will be sorely missed by all who were lucky enough to have met him. To honour Max's memory, British & Irish Expats Rugby is supporting CRY to help prevent young sudden cardiac deaths.

To donate to Max's memorial fund, CLICK HERE.

About CRY

Since its formation in 1995, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) has been working to reduce the frequency of young sudden cardiac death (YSCD). CRY supports young people diagnosed with potentially life-threatening cardiac conditions, offers bereavement support to families affected by YSCD, promotes and develops heart screening programmes, and funds medical research.

CRY publishes and distributes medical information written by leading cardiologists for the general public, and funds specialist referral, screening and cardiac pathology services at leading UK hospitals.

The stats

Every week in the UK at least 12 apparently fit and healthy young people die of undiagnosed cardiac conditions.

1 in 100 young individuals CRY screens will have a condition which will require monitoring and could cause health problems later in life.

1 in 300 young individuals CRY screens will have a potentially life threatening heart condition which will benefit from lifestyle advice, treatment and sometimes corrective surgery.