Courtney Lawes, a 37-year-old veteran of the England rugby team with 105 caps, is advocating for a change in England's selection policy. He believes that the national team should not be restricted to players who only play for domestic clubs. Lawes recently signed a one-year contract with Sale Sharks after playing for Brive in the French second division. Now back in contention for more international caps, he argues that limiting selection to domestic players may not be necessary, as talented English players like Jack Willis, who plays for Toulouse in France, are currently out of reach for the national team. Lawes emphasized the need to have the best players available for selection, stating that the sport needs to evolve to attract more fans. He believes players should be accessible "by any means necessary" and questioned why England should limit itself to domestic players. Several top English talents, including Jack and Tom Willis, Kyle Sinckler, Manu Tuilagi, and others, are currently playing in France. Premiership clubs, which receive financial support from the Rugby Football Union (RFU), have better access to and control over these players, making it easier to retain top talent. While some countries, like New Zealand, France, and Ireland, have policies favoring home-based players, others, such as South Africa, Australia, and Scotland, rely significantly on players based abroad. England's head coach, Steve Borthwick, has not yet included Lawes or his new Sale teammate Joe Marchant in the first training camp of the season. Borthwick has asked both players to prove themselves in the Premiership first, a strategy he previously used with Owen Farrell when he returned from Racing 92 in France. Lawes, who played the full 80 minutes in Sale's 50-28 victory over Bath in the Premiership Rugby Cup, spoke to Rugby Union Weekly about his discussions with Borthwick. He expects the coach to keep an eye on his performance but wants to focus on contributing to Sale first before considering a return to the national team. Lawes initially retired after the 2023 Rugby World Cup semi-final loss to South Africa but decided to come back after leaving Northampton Saints, where he had won the domestic title. He felt he still had the physical ability to play and wanted to explore all options before making a decision. Now back in England, he believes the team has the talent to improve on their inconsistent 2025-26 campaign, though he acknowledges the challenges the squad faces.