5 Rugby SIBLINGS who Play for DIFFERENT NATIONS!
In this video I take you through 5 sets of rugby siblings who interestingly enough play for different nations. whether that be through the Residency Rule or the players having multiple nationalities through ancestry

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With the Gray brother both in the Scotland squad for the first time in many years. It got me wondering if there were any siblings who have played for different national teams. This is 5 siblings who have played for different nations.

Duhan van der Merwre is a winger who plays for Edinburgh and Scotland while his brother Akker in a hooker playing for Sale Sharks and has represented South Africa in the past. Both were born and raised in South Africa with Akker coming through at the leopards and the lions and Duhan with the Blue Bulls. Akker would go on to make 50 appearance for the lions before joining the sharks in 2017 where he would win 3 caps for South Africa before moving to England to join Sale Sharks.

Duhan had less success in South Africa. He would make only 2 appearances for the bulls before leaving to join Montpelier where he would score 3 tries in his 4 games while at the French side. But a recurring hip injury and struggling with a different culture and language he left the club. He was ready to join Edinburgh however he failed his medical but head coach Richard Cockerill signed him anyway. due to his injury he missed the first half of the season but showed his quality and potential in the later stages. In 2020 Duhan Qualified to play for Scotland and won his fist cap against Georgia scoring on his debut. At then end of the 20/21 season he signed for Worcester Warriors but due to there financial struggles returned to Edinburgh after the club entered administration in 2022.

Billy Burns is a fly half who plays for ulster in the United Rugby Championship, his brother Freddie is also a fly half but he plays for Leicester Tigers and played a pivotal role in their 2022 premiership final victory. Both players came through at Gloucester with Freddie making his debut in 2007 and making 131 appearances whereas Billy came through in 2012 making 101 appearances. Freddie moved to Leicester in 2014 then bath in 2017 before having a brief spell in japan where he played 7 times for Toyota Industries before returning to Leicester in 2021. He made his International Debut for England in 2012 playing 5 times until his last cap in 2014. His younger brother Joined Ulster after Danni Cipriani joined Gloucester in 2018. Knowing he was Irish qualified through his grandfather, this gave him an opportunity to play International Rugby as Irelands second choice fly-half was still up for grabs. He started strong for ulster and in 2020 made his debut for Ireland against wales in the autumn nations cup. He currently has 7 caps.

Harriet Miller-Mills is a back rower who played for wasps and England whereas her sister Bridget was a lock for Scotland. Harriet has 66 caps for England women. Both were born and grew up in Manchester but were eligible to play for Scotland through their mother who was from Hamilton. They became the first sisters to play against each other in an international rugby match when Scotland met England in the 2013 six nations. Their Brother Elliot also plays rugby and has represented England at counties level. He Joined his older sister Harriet as wasps in 2021.

Manu Tuilagi is equally as well known for being a quality 46 capped England International and when he polity fist bumped Chris Ashtons face. But he has 5 older brothers who all played for Samoa. Manu made a name for himself at Leicester tigers before joining sale sharks in 2020. he made his debut for England against Wales in 2011 during a world cup warm up. All of manu’s brother have spent time a the tigers too but they all appear to now be retired. Between the Brothers they have 398 appearance at the Tigers and when Manu left in 2020 it was the first time in 20 years a Tuilagi wasn’t contracted to Leicester.

Freddie has 17 caps the first picked up in 1992, Alesana gained 37 caps between 2002 and 2013, Anitelea picked up 17 caps between 2005 and 2014, Henry has 10 caps the first of which came in 2002 and the last in 2009 and finally Sanele vavae has 9 caps all of which came in 2015.

Donald MacDonald who was so good they named him twice represented Scotland 7 times in the 1970s while his brother Dugald represented South Africa one time where he played against the British and Irish lions in the 1974 tour. It appears both were born in South Africa, so I guess Scotland capping south Africans is nothing new. Dugald also represented Western Province while his brother played for Oxford Uni, London Scottish and the West of Scotland.

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