'A unique case': Titans gun AJ Brimson approved to switch allegiance from Australia to England

AJ Brimson has officially switched his allegiance from Australia to England after gaining approval from the rugby league tribunal on Wednesday.

The Brisbane-born utility back has spent his entire NRL career representing the Gold Coast Titans but has yet to feature for the Kangaroos in a senior international match.

Although, from now on, he will no longer be eligible to don the green and gold jersey.

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Brimson, who has featured for the Maroons on four occasions, was forced to submit an application to change his allegiance from Australia as England is also considered a Tier 1 nation.

The playmaker launched his application earlier this year and will now be eligible to represent England as soon as the upcoming Ashes series.

The 26-year-old's case was labelled a "unique" one by IRL chairman Troy Grant, given Brimson had represented Australia in 2019 at the international 9s.

Such tournament deemed Australia, England and New Zealand as Tier 1 nations, meaning Brimson would be ineligible to change his allegiance.

However, the 9s World Cup has since been discontinued, with all players from the tournament deemed to be unfairly restricted from electing the nation they will represent.

Such viewpoint was recognised in a different set of circumstances compared to those in the 13-a-side format as the latter's games are played continuously throughout the year.

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Grant stated that Brimson's case was approved on the basis that he has English heritage through his mother.

"This was a unique case in that a player who qualifies for two Tier 1 nations had elected to represent one of those nations in 9s and was therefore unable to represent the other nation in 13s," Grant said.

"Yet the player has had no further opportunity to represent his elected nation in 9s, as he had anticipated, and has also not played a senior international match.

"The aim of the international eligibility rules is to ensure that the best players are able to represent a nation for whom he or she qualifies but in this case the player had been left sidelined.

"The tribunal therefore felt that player Brimson should be allowed to switch his international eligibility from Australia to England and approved his application to do so."

A couple of years ago Roosters lock Victor Radley changed his allegiances to England, despite having already represented the Blues in Origin.

Neither Radley nor Brimson are now allowed to play State of Origin.