Rugby Australia will not follow SA Rugby’s example to scrap Test selection restrictions aimed at preventing players from heading abroad.

Since 2015, only overseas-based players with 60 Test caps, who had played seven Vodacom Super Rugby seasons have been eligible for Wallabies selection.

SA Rugby announced last Saturday that it had scrapped its 30-Test restriction for overseas-based players.

Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle told The Australian that its ruling ‘is working well for us’.

‘It is keeping our best Wallabies in the country because of their desire to play for the Wallabies.

‘That means they are playing Super Rugby, which is hugely important to us because of the commercial return that Super Rugby makes, and we also have to make sure that Australia is as competitive as possible.’

Castle said reducing the threshold to 30 caps would just render more current Wallabies a ‘flight risk’ because they could go overseas and still play for Australia.

‘So it’s not about who is already overseas,’ she added. ‘It is about who you open up the flight risk for of our current Wallabies. Our analysis suggests that we have it right with 60 [Tests].’