Joe Schmidt appears to have secured an early victory over New Zealand, with All Blacks prop Alex Hodgman reportedly in line to switch international allegiance to Australia. 

Hodgman, 30, has earned four caps for the All Blacks since his test debut under former coach Ian Foster, but hasn’t played for New Zealand since 2020. 

And under World Rugby’s eligibility laws, where players can represent a second nation after a three-year stand-down period, Hodgman is available to make the switch – given his father is Australian. 

After leaving the Blues at the end of 2023, Hodgman has spent the 2024 season based in Australia, playing for the Queensland Reds, who will finish the regular season in fifth regardless of results in this weekend’s final round of matches. 

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Hodgman will be an inclusion in Schmidt’s first Wallabies squad named later this year, as Australia host Wales and Georgia in the upcoming July window. 

Schmidt and Hodgman are no strangers and worked together at the Blues in 2022, when Leon MacDonald’s side were beaten in the Super Rugby Pacific final by the Crusaders. 

Should he complete the switch, Hodgman would be the fourth player to represent both Australia and New Zealand, and the first in 50 years. 

Owen Stephens (1974) was the last to achieve the feat, joining Des O’Connor and Ted Jessep. 

Hodgman wouldn’t be the first All Black to switch allegiance after World Rugby’s rule change. 

The likes of Charles Piutau, Malakai Fekitoa, Augustine Pulu, Vaea Fifita and George Moala have all laced up for Tonga in recent years. 

Lima Sopoaga, Charlie Faumuina, Steven Luatua and Jeff Toomaga-Allen all switched to play for Samoa, while Seta Tamanivalu is now playing for Fiji.