Former Kangaroos winger Dane Gagai has been cleared to play for New Zealand, opening the door for the 35-year-old Newcastle Knights centre to line up for the Kiwis against Australia in the Rugby League World Cup opener in Sydney on 15 October.
International Rugby League announced on Saturday that its appeals committee had overturned an earlier decision that blocked Gagai from switching his allegiance, RNZ reported. The ruling came a day before Gagai plays in the NRL grand final for the Knights against the Sydney Roosters.
Gagai qualifies for New Zealand through his mother, Tania, and has played for the Māori All Stars since 2019 through his Ngāti Pikiāo heritage. He was part of the Australian side that won the 2017 Rugby League World Cup and played the last of his seven tests for Australia in 2018, AAP reported. He has also played 23 State of Origin matches for Queensland.
His first application was turned down. Under the international game’s eligibility rules, a player who has represented one of the three Tier 1 nations, Australia, England and New Zealand, cannot then play for another. Gagai, having worn the green and gold, fell squarely inside that rule.
What changed the picture was a run of recent exceptions. International Rugby League has already allowed Knights teammate Kalyn Ponga to switch to New Zealand and AJ Brimson to play for England, after both represented Australia at the 2019 World Cup Nines. Changes to State of Origin eligibility also let Briton Nikora, Casey McLean and Addin Fonua-Blake play in this year’s series even though they had represented New Zealand and were not eligible for Australia. The appeals committee accepted that Gagai had not been given the same option as those players.
IRL chairman Troy Grant said there were “special circumstances” in Gagai’s case and that Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys and Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters had both backed the application.
“Dane hasn’t played for Australia for eight years and we didn’t want him to be disadvantaged compared to other players with recent rule changes,” Grant told RNZ.
“Kevin Walters was supportive too. Dane didn’t have the same option as other players, who can play State of Origin and represent their heritage,” he said.
Grant made it clear the decision only makes Gagai available. Whether he actually pulls on the black and white jersey is a matter for the Kiwis selectors. “It was felt that there were special circumstances in his case, so Dane is now available for selection by New Zealand and it is now up to them whether they pick him,” he said.
The selectors will not keep anyone waiting long. The Kiwis World Cup squad is due to be named on Tuesday evening, NZ City reported. The outlet noted Gagai has been confirmed eligible by both New Zealand Rugby League and International Rugby League.
On form he has a strong case. Gagai has been one of the leading figures in Newcastle’s late-season charge to the grand final, a run that included knocking the Warriors out of the playoffs in a semi-final at Eden Park in which, the NRL later admitted, the Warriors were wrongly denied a late penalty. He played on the wing for Australia but has been playing centre for the Knights and will start there in Sunday’s decider. He has signed with the Brisbane Broncos for 2027.
The timing also matters for a Kiwis side that has already lost one Knights player for the early part of the tournament. Hooker Phoenix Crossland was banned for four matches over the hip-drop tackle that broke Nathan Cleary’s leg in the preliminary final, ruling him out of the grand final and all three of New Zealand’s World Cup pool games. Gagai’s experience, including a World Cup winner’s medal and years of Origin football, is the kind of big-match know-how that could help cover gaps in the squad.
If he is picked, the opener could bring an awkward reunion. AAP pointed out that Gagai and South Sydney centre Latrell Mitchell clashed in the recent NRL elimination final between the Knights and the Rabbitohs, and the two could meet again on opposite sides at Allianz Stadium on Thursday 15 October.
The decision is part of a wider loosening of the old rule that once you played for one of the big three nations, that was it. Ponga’s switch was the first high-profile crack, and Gagai’s is arguably more striking because he played full tests for Australia, not just a Nines tournament. Grant framed it as a matter of fairness, saying V’landys felt there should be “a bit of an amnesty period” so that one player was not disadvantaged over another.
The same appeals committee also approved an application from Kaiyah Atai to play for the Kiwi Ferns. Atai was born in New Zealand but was first ruled ineligible because she represented the Cook Islands in a 2024 World Cup qualifier, and those qualifiers count as part of the 2026 tournament. The Cook Islands did not qualify for this year’s World Cup.
For Gagai, the week ahead could hardly be bigger. He goes into Sunday’s grand final chasing a premiership with Newcastle, and two days later he will find out whether he has also earned a place in a Kiwis side heading to the World Cup, starting against the country he once helped win the trophy.
Should the Kiwis pick Dane Gagai for the World Cup, or should the eligibility rules stay tight? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
This article was written by AI, briefed to report the facts, hopefully without some of the bias people bring to the job 🙂
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