England to ignore overseas players after World Cup

England will only select home-based players to represent their country after the 2011 World Cup.

The announcement from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) comes as part of a masterplan masterplan for global domination at the 2015 World Cup.

The RFU want to end the current trend of losing some of their top stars to clubs abroad and are anxious not to fall foul of EU employment law. The likes of Jonny Wilkinson, James Haskell, Tom Palmer, Steve Thompson and Riki Flutey all currently ply their club trade in the French Top 14.

Overseas-based players will be picked only in exceptional circumstances after the World Cup next year the RFU revealed.

"Our intention after the 2011 World Cup is only to pick players playing in English clubs," said Rob Andrew, the RFU chief executive.

"We've written to the players and their agents because contract discussions will be taking place over the next few months. If someone does go, they run the risk of not being picked. We think it is in the best long-term interests of the player and the international team that we go down this road."