Louis Lynagh could become the latest British athlete to compete for a different country than a famous forebear after being selected for Eddie Jones’ England training squad.
The 20-year-old Harlequins full-back is the son of former Australia star Michael, who won 72 caps for the Wallabies and was part of their 1991 World Cup-winning team.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at other sportsmen and sportswomen who have represented another nation to the one for which a parent of grandparent starred.
Ian and James Botham
Lord Ian Botham remains one of England’s greatest cricketers, who 40 years on is remembered for the heroics which rescued an unlikely Ashes win over Australia at Headingley in 1981 and set up a remarkable series victory. Grandson James, 23, is a Cardiff Blues flanker – his father Liam played for Cardiff RFC – who has been capped nine times by Wales and has been tipped to have a bright international future.
Ged and Ben Stokes
The late Ged Stokes played rugby league as a prop forward for New Zealand and took charge of the Kiwis A team on their 2003 tour of Great Britain having moved to England to play for and later coach Workington before a spell with Whitehaven. Son Ben, who was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, but raised in Cumbria, has established himself as a mainstay of the England cricket team, famously batting them to World Cup glory in July 2019 before weeks later smashing a stunning 135 not out at Headingley to level the Ashes series at 1-1.
George, Ron and Dean Headley
Panama-born George Headley, who scored 2,190 Test runs at an average of 60.83 in 22 appearances which yielded 10 centuries between 1930 and 1954, is widely regarded as the first of a West Indies dynasty of great batsmen. Son Ron, an opening batsman, played only two Tests for the West Indies, but enjoyed a distinguished career in county cricket with Worcestershire and Derbyshire. His Stourbridge-born son Dean made his name as a seam bowler, taking 60 Test wickets for England at an average of 27.85 in 15 matches.
Kevin, Tom and Sam Curran
All-rounder Kevin Curran, who died at the age of 53 in 2012, played for Zimbabwe at both the 1983 and 1987 World Cups, but spent much of his career in England with Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire and opted not to return to his native country when it was granted Test status. Sons Tom and Sam, who are on the books at Surrey – brother Ben plays for Northants – have represented England in Test, one-day international and T20 cricket.
Sergei and Elena Baltacha
Soviet Union defender Sergei Baltacha won 45 senior international caps in a career which took him from Dynamo Kiev in his native Ukraine to Ipswich and St Johnstone. His Kiev-born daughter Elena, who died from liver cancer at the age of 30 in 2014, was a British number one who played Fed Cup and Olympic tennis for Great Britain and won 11 singles and four doubles titles on the ITF circuit.
