Marcus Smith’s dream of quitting England despite Six Nations pick

Marcus Smith celebrated England’s victory over Wales in the Six Nations but has already hinted at switching allegiance later in his rugby career. The Harlequins star was introduced for the final 15 minutes of the  48-7 win at Twickenham.

Smith initially forged his reputation at fly-half but once again showed his versatility after being deployed as fullback after replacing Freddie Steward. The 26-year-old will be focused on helping England once more as Steve Borthwick’s side prepare to face Scotland on Saturday. He has scored 314 points in 47 tests for his country but has previously expressed a desire to represent another nation. Born in the Philippines to an English father and a Filipina mother, Smith also lived in Singapore before moving to the UK as a teenager. He has since carved out an impressive England career but has considered representing his birthplace in the future.

World Rugby allows players to switch countries after a three-year stand-down period. This means Smith could eventually play for the Philippines a few years after his England career comes to an end.

Speaking during an ‘Ask Me Anything’ with England Rugby, Smith said: “One day I’d love to help and be involved in Philippine rugby – my brother currently plays for the Philippines.

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“Right now, my heart and mind are fully with England. It’s a dream to wear this kit. But one day that might be different… if the chance comes and my body holds up, it would be amazing to play alongside my younger brothers.”

Marcus has two brothers, Tomas and Luc, and has followed the latter’s journey representing the Philippines. Luc recently helped the country clinch a bronze medal at the Southeast Asian Games.

The Smith sibling also rose to wider prominence with a solo try that went viral on social media in 2023. Sharing the same position as his older brother, Luc has previously received advice from Marcus on how to improve as a fly-half.

“He’s always open to giving me all the tips that he has learnt. He is obviously working with some of the best coaches and players so he passes on that fine detail to me, which helps a lot,” he told talkingrugbyunion in 2021.

When comparing himself to Marcus, Luc told The Telegraph: “I’d say we play similarly, instinctive and playing what we see. That is how we’ve been coached through Brighton College and the head of rugby, Nick Buoy, was always encouraging that style of play, expansive rugby.

“Marcus is maybe a bit more extravagant than me, one end of the extreme. He probably has the better goose step, I don’t use it as much as he does!”