New research, from StubHub, has analysed the preliminary squads for the Rugby World Cup 2019 to reveal which teams have the most players from other countries and, in turn, are the most multicultural.
Rugby union is one of the most multicultural international sports, with many players choosing to play for countries other than that which they were born in, but which teams boast the most players from other countries?
The Teams
While 17 out of the 20 teams look set to feature foreign-born players, none boast as many as Samoa, with more than half (61%) of their players being born outside of the country, which makes sense when you consider the islands are home to less than 200,000 people.
The 5 Squads With The Most Nationalities
1-2.
United States and Italy – 9
3.
Ireland – 8
4.
Scotland – 7
5.
Japan – 5
The 5 Squads With The Highest % Of Foreign-Born Players
Samoa – 61%
Scotland – 48%
Tonga – 45%
Japan – 45%
United States – 42%
The 5 Squads With The Highest % Of Native Players
Argentina – 100%
Russia – 100%
Uruguay – 100%
Georgia – 98%
South Africa – 97%
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Photo Credit: Jacob Lund / Shutterstock.com