England Rugby To Call On European Player Of The Year Steffon Armitage For World Cup

Rugby player Steffon Armitage is "being viewed" as a potential England No. 8 for the Rugby World Cup, according to Alex Lowe of the LONDON TIMES. Armitage has not played for England because of the Rugby Football Union's directive that "players based outside England are not eligible for the national team." When a "proposed loan move to Bath collapsed this season, it appeared that Armitage's hopes of representing England had again fallen through." However, RFU management reportedly views "a home World Cup to be an event important enough" to trigger the "exceptional circumstances" clause in the RFU's selection policy and Armitage is "being strongly considered for a place in the wider training squad, which will be announced in May." Armitage has said that he is "committed to playing for England again after deciding not to pursue a career with France" (LONDON TIMES, 1/5).