Andy Farrell's son could play for Ireland instead of England

Andy Farrell could one day see another of his sons play international rugby – but this time for Ireland rather than England.

The Ireland head coach is preparing to face Argentina on Friday night, but his youngest son has already set his sights on wearing the green jersey.

While his older half-brother Owen won 112 caps for England, Gabriel Farrell has grown up playing rugby in Ireland.

And Andy has already revealed which country his youngest son wants to represent.

Gabriel attends Blackrock College in Dublin, one of Ireland's most successful rugby schools.

Speaking to The42 earlier this year, Farrell was asked whether his son wanted to represent Ireland.

He replied: "If you asked him that three years ago, never mind if we get to the end of this contract, that would be a shoo-in, I would have thought."

The family moved to Dublin in 2019, with Gabriel developing through the Irish schools rugby system.

The youngster's rugby career has continued to progress.

In September, Gabriel was named in Blackrock College's Junior Cup leadership group for the 2026 campaign.

He was selected to support captain Adam Nutley alongside fellow student Felix Burke.

The appointment followed his earlier experience captaining the school's first-year side.

Blackrock has produced several Ireland internationals, including Brian O'Driscoll, Garry Ringrose and Hugo Keenan.

The possibility of another Farrell representing Ireland is particularly interesting given Owen's achievements with England.

The former England captain became his country's all-time leading points scorer and helped them reach the 2019 Rugby World Cup final.

His younger half-brother could take a different international route.

Having spent several years playing rugby in Dublin, Gabriel has a potential pathway to Irish eligibility under World Rugby's registration rules.

However, his eligibility would need to be formally established, particularly because the relevant registration period began while he was a minor.

Farrell has also previously praised his youngest son's kicking ability.

"He's goal-kicking already. He's probably ahead of Owen at that age," the Ireland boss said.

🎂 Age: Born on 30 May 1975 in Wigan, England. Farrell is 51 years old.
🏉 Rugby league legend: Made his Wigan debut aged just 16 and captained Great Britain. He won four Challenge Cups and six league titles with Wigan.
🌹 England international: Switched to rugby union in 2005 and earned eight England caps, including appearances at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
👨‍👦 Family: Became a father at 16 when his eldest son, Owen Farrell, was born. Owen went on to win 112 England caps.
🏆 Ireland success: Took charge of Ireland in 2020 and guided them to the 2023 Six Nations Grand Slam. He also coached the British & Irish Lions on their 2025 tour of Australia.