Beno Obano Agrees Pau Move That Will Pause England Eligibility

Beno Obano has agreed to leave Bath for French Top 14 club Pau at the end of the forthcoming season, a move that will place his England career on hold. BBC Sport reported that the 31-year-old loose-head prop will become ineligible for national-team selection once he begins playing his club rugby in France.

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England head coach Steve Borthwick currently selects from a domestic-based player pool under the agreement between Premiership clubs and the Rugby Football Union. Obano is therefore expected to remain available during his final season with Bath, but the eligibility restriction will apply after his move across the Channel.

Obano won his fifth England cap in July, coming off the bench for Ellis Genge in the defeat by South Africa. He sustained a hamstring injury in that match. Unlike some senior England players, Obano does not hold a central contract, according to the BBC's report.

The timing means Obano can still be available for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. David Ribbans and Joe Marchant were selected for the 2023 tournament despite having already agreed to join French clubs after that competition. BBC Sport said it is unlikely that England will exclude Obano during the coming season merely because the future move has been confirmed.

Competition at loose-head remains significant. Harlequins' Fin Baxter, Northampton's Emmanuel Iyogun and Sale's Bevan Rodd are all younger options in the position, while Sale's Asher Opoku-Fordjour can also operate on that side of the front row. Genge has been England's first choice, with Obano supporting him from the bench against South Africa.

Obano will join a group of England players already based in France, including Jack Willis, Kyle Sinckler, Billy Vunipola, Manu Tuilagi, Lewis Ludlam and Sam Simmonds. His departure also continues a period of front-row change at Bath: Thomas du Toit returned to the Durban-based Sharks after last season, while Scotland international Jamie Bhatti joined the club this summer.