Ex-England fly-half Toby Flood mulls Germany switch

Former England fly-half Toby Flood is thinking about switching allegiances to play for Germany, he revealed in an interview with The Times published on Monday.

Flood, who won the last of his 60 England caps in 2013, qualifies to play for Germany through his grandfather Albert Lieven, who left Berlin in 1936, and applied for a German passport after the Brexit vote.

"If there was any way of trying to help a fledgling rugby country, it would interest me," Flood said.

"I have always been proud of being German. It would be nice to go back and connect it all together.

"My mum is the last remaining true Lieven and she went back to Germany about 10 years ago to put together the family tree, so if there was a chance to connect into that, it would be great."

Flood, 32, effectively ended his England career by joining French side Toulouse in 2014, but will play in the Premiership again this season after joining Newcastle.

With George Ford and Owen Farrell barring his way to an England recall, his international future could now lie with minnows Germany, who are ranked 22nd in the world.

Source: AFP