The 20-year-old physical back rower qualifies for Wales, England and New Zealand

12:59, 29 Dec 2025Updated 13:15, 29 Dec 2025

James (centre) has long been touted as a future high-class Test level player

A tug-of-war over England U20s international Kane James is set to escalate in the new year with the Wales-born star impressing for Exeter Chiefs in the Gallagher PREM.

The 20-year-old back row put in a big defensive shift as he came off the bench to help the Chiefs to victory over Leicester Tigers on Sunday, bringing the energy and making a crucial turnover at the breakdown to help his side hold on to their lead with less than 15 minutes to play.

After breaking into the senior set-up at Sandy Park, James has caught the eye on more than one occasion, with his destructive ball-carrying ability and explosive physicality leading many to ask when he will make the step up to Test rugby and, more pertinently, which nation he will represent.

James originally hails from Haverfordwest and qualifies for both England and Wales, as well as New Zealand. He previously represented Wales at U18 level but made the switch to England U20s in 2024, playing a key role in their historic Six Nations and World Rugby U20 Championship double.

However, with his time with the U20s coming to an end over the summer, the youngster – who has long been touted as a future high-class Test level player – is weighing up his options for the future as he targets full international honours.

With England currently boasting an embarrassment of riches in the backrow and Wales looking to strengthen their depth around the field, James may well fancy his chances of winning a cap for Steve Tandy’s side over Steve Borthwick’s men, and he has admitted himself that he is open to switching back to Wales to play Test rugby.

“I’ve loved my time in England U20s,” he told The Rugby Paper earlier this year. “But I mean, it’s now about whatever opportunities come. I’m not tied down anywhere; I’m open to opportunities.

“Whatever happens, happens. There’s a wealth of talent there [in the England senior team]. If it’s with England, then so be it. But if it’s with Wales as well, I’m open to that too.”

The admission came after Wales U20s boss Richard Whiffin confirmed that the Welsh Rugby Union had made contact with James in an effort to “keep a relationship” with him and leave the door open to him pulling on the red jersey again.

With Wales losing out on the likes of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Kepu Tuipulotu in recent years, new senior head coach Tandy has made no secret of his desire to identify and secure as many Welsh-qualified talents as possible to strengthen his player pool.

Earlier this month, WalesOnline reported that the WRU are attempting to persuade New Zealand rugby star Tahlor Cahill to throw his lot in with Wales, with the 22-year-old Crusaders lock qualifying through a grandparent.

Asked whether he had spoken to any Welsh-qualified players ahead of the autumn international campaign, Tandy said that finding eligible players and those left in the dark over whether they qualify was “a massive thing” for him and his team

“I think it would be really unfair to mention names,” he told the Scrum V podcast. “[But] we are looking.

“We have got to connect and we have got to keep asking those questions. We’ve got to be finding out about who is Welsh-qualified and more importantly – who wants to play for Wales.

“There are so many boys out there and probably boys that people wouldn’t even realise so that is definitely part of what I’ve been doing,” the Wales boss added. “I think that’s a really important piece because as a nation, we are small.

“There are lots of talented players, not only in Wales but outside of it. So that is a massive thing for us.”

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