Salary cap loophole could hand Tshiunza a route back into Wales squad for 2025 World Cup

Christ Tshiunza’s international career may not be over after all. Sale Sharks head coach Alex Sanderson has revealed he is actively consulting on a route that could allow the 24-year-old flanker to represent Wales at next year’s Rugby World Cup in Australia, despite currently being frozen out of Steve Tandy’s squad.

Tshiunza has been one of Sale’s standout performers since joining from Exeter Chiefs, but was ruled ineligible for Wales selection over the summer after falling foul of a little-known regulation. Because he holds only 15 caps — 10 short of the 25-cap threshold required to play outside Wales — his move to the Manchester-based club was deemed to have come after he turned down reasonable contract offers from Welsh regions the Ospreys and Cardiff.

However, Sanderson told RugbyPass there is a potential workaround. If Sale’s contract offer to Tshiunza exceeds what any of the four Welsh regions can match, the flanker becomes eligible for selection regardless of his cap count — a provision that has previously benefited Wales internationals Rhys Carré and Jarrod Evans.

“The one thing that takes that out of Wales’ hands is what price range we go in at,” Sanderson explained. “If it’s a price range above what they’re able to match, then you can play for Wales and will get paid loads of money here. But it’s whether or not that price level is something we can fit into our salary cap. That’s what we’re working through right now.”

Sanderson confirmed he has spoken directly with Tshiunza, whose last Wales appearance came in a 12-45 defeat to South Africa in November 2024, about extending his stay at the Sharks. The coach made clear that the player’s own ambitions are central to any decision.

“He desires and wants to play in the World Cup. He wants to play for Wales. And that’s going to motivate him to whatever decision he makes moving forward, but we’ve made it quite clear and obvious: we’d love him to stay.”

Sanderson added that while he has not spoken directly with Wales head coach Steve Tandy, both camps are in consultation about how to navigate the eligibility rules. With the World Cup less than a year away, the clock is ticking for Tshiunza — and for Sale — to find a solution that satisfies the salary cap, the regulations, and the player’s international ambitions.