Player Clearances

Players who wish to play rugby in any Union other than the one with which they are currently registered, must obtain permission to make the change. This permission is known as “International Clearance”, and such clearance is granted by your current Union and then approved by your new Union.

International clearance is a requirement under the World Rugby Regulations and applies to all Unions that are members of World Rugby. A player is not eligible to play rugby in another Union at any level until they have received a valid international clearance. There are no exceptions to this World Rugby Regulatory requirement, and the Irish Rugby Football Union does not have any discretion to allow players to play without a clearance.

It is a player’s responsibility to ensure they have an international clearance before they play. 

All applications for Outgoing International Clearance must be completed on the IRFU World  Rugby International Clearance online system here

Any queries should be forwarded to playerclearances@IRFU.ie

Outgoing International Clearance

Any person aged 18 years or over, whose last registration was with the IRFU (whether as an adult or underage player) and who wishes to play rugby in another Union, requires International Clearance. This regulation applies to all adults, once they were previously registered with the IRFU. Some Unions require clearance for players under 18 years of age, and the IRFU will also approve these clearance requests.

For a player who was never registered with the IRFU and who wishes to play in a different Union, IRFU Player Clearances, on request, may provide a letter confirming this to the new Union.

The process for a clearance is as follows:

• The player enters their name and email address on the link
• A passcode is then sent to the player’s email address to enable access to the online form.
• The player completes the form (including their IRFU ID number)
• The completed form is automatically sent by email to the registered club signee(s).
• Once signed by one of the club signees, the form is sent to the IRFU for approval.
• When approved, the IRFU informs the new Union by email, and copies in the player, the club, and the Branch.

Incoming International Clearance

The Irish Rugby Football Union requires an International Clearance for all incoming players aged 18 years or over, irrespective of whether they have played rugby at underage or adult level, amateur or professional, or are returning players to the IRFU.

International Clearance is not required for incoming players under the age of 18 years provided that they are resident in Ireland or Northern Ireland and have registered before their 18th birthday.

A new incoming player may not register with an IRFU club until International Clearance has been approved by IRFU Player Clearances, and Branch Clearance has been granted by the relevant Branch.

Returning players may not register with an IRFU club until International Clearance has been approved and the player has received correspondence from IRFU Player Clearances confirming this.

A club or province which plays a player without completing the full clearance process may face sanctions, such as a loss of points and/or a fine.

Student and Services Pass

Dual registration may be allowed in the case of players who are students in full-time education abroad or military personnel who are stationed abroad. This pass allows players to play with a rugby club or university in the Union in which they are studying or stationed, while also allowing them to remain registered with their home club in the IRFU.

The completed form should be sent to playerclearances@IRFU.ie

Please note that the Dual Registration is usually granted until the end of the current season, and a new application must be made for the new season.

All information is correct as of June 2026