More than 10,000 rugby fans have hit Google to find out whether former England captain\u00a0Owen Farrell\u00a0could make a shock international switch and turn out for Ireland in the years ahead.<\/p>\n
Watch the Guinness Six Nations at your local\u00a0Greene King sports pub<\/a><\/p>\n This speculation likely arises from his father, Andy Farrell, coaching in Ireland and Owen\u2019s original surname. To date, there have been thousands of searches asking \u2018is Owen Farrell Irish?\u2019 and other similar queries. <\/p>\n Andy Farrell has been married to his wife Colleen O\u2019Loughlin since 1995.<\/p>\n The pair met as teenagers with the high school sweethearts have their first child Owen when Colleen has only just turned 17 years old.<\/p>\n As a result, Owen was not at first registered as a Farrell, but took mum Colleen\u2019s family name of O\u2019Loughlin, which some will know is a famous name in rugby league circles.<\/p>\n \u00a0The couple married in 1995, changing Owen\u2019s surname to Farrell the following year. They also have three other children, Elleshia, Gracie and Gabriel.<\/p>\n The surname O\u2019Loughlin was first found in\u00a0County Clare\u00a0(Irish: An Cl\u00e1r) located on the west coast of\u00a0Ireland\u00a0in the province of\u00a0Munster, where they held a\u00a0family seat\u00a0from very ancient times.<\/p>\n However, although Farrell certainly has plenty of Irish DNA, he wouldn\u2019t be able to play for Ireland as his Grandad Kieran O\u2019Loughlin, who was a prominent rugby player in the 70\u2019s and 80\u2019s, was born in Wigan and not Ireland.<\/p>\n Under current rules, a player\u00a0can change to a new country\u00a0once, provided they or their (grand)parents were born in the new country. A stand-down period of three years applies and a transfer is subject to approval by the World Rugby Regulations Committee.<\/p>\n So is Owen Farrell Irish? Yes. Can Owen Farrell play for Ireland? Probably not.<\/p>\n When asked recently if he\u2019d ever consider swapping nations, Farrell bullishly responded \u2018absolutely not\u2019.<\/p>\n Join the\u00a0RUCK\u2019s WhatsApp community here<\/a>\u00a0and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.<\/p>\n EDITORS PICKS:<\/p>\n \u201c2\/10\u201d \u2013 Six England players who flopped vs Scotland \u2013 who should replacement<\/p>\n Here are six England players who flopped at Murrayfield \u2013 and who should replace them.<\/p>\n Fraser Dingwall \u2013 Exposed in Midfield<\/p>\n Telegraph 3 | Rugby Pass 4<\/p>\n What they said<\/p>\n Telegraph:\u00a0\u201cA match where his limitations were exposed opposite a Test Lion. England were cut apart too easily in the midfield.\u201d<\/p>\n Rugby Pass<\/a>:\u00a0\u201cLike every outside England back, Dingwall was totally neutered by a rampant Scottish defence.\u201d<\/p>\n Planet Rugby: \u201cSo often seen as the key link player in this attack, but struggled to really shine with his side\u2019s attack stifled.\u00a0\u201c<\/p>\n England\u2019s midfield looked alarmingly porous, and Dingwall struggled badly against elite opposition. Defensive frailties and a lack of cutting edge in attack left England blunt in the 13 channel.<\/p>\n Replacement: Ollie Lawrence<\/p>\n Henry Arundell \u2013 Indiscipline Proves Costly<\/p>\n RUCK 2 | Express 2 | Telegraph 2 | Rugby Pass 2<\/p>\n What they said<\/p>\n Rugby Pass:\u00a0Yellow carded for not releasing after scrambling to prevent a try, with England conceding 14 points while he was off. Scored, but his second yellow \u2013 and red \u2013 for taking\u00a0Kyle Steyn\u00a0out in the air was hugely costly.<\/p>\n Telegraph:\u00a0\u201cTest rugby can be brutal. Two moments of mistiming and two yellow cards which cost England the game.\u201d<\/p>\n Express:\u00a0\u201cHat-trick hero last week, brainless red card villain this week.\u201d<\/p>\n RUCK:\u00a0Two yellow cards in the opening 40 minutes is simply unacceptable at this level.<\/p>\n From hero to villain in seven days. Arundell\u2019s finishing instinct remains sharp, but his discipline handed momentum \u2013 and ultimately the match \u2013 to Scotland.<\/p>\n Replacement: Ollie Hassell-Collins<\/p>\n CONTINUES ON PAGE TWO<\/a><\/p>\n Like this:<\/p>\n Like Loading…<\/p>\n