Under the rules as they stand, England are unable to call on players such as Toulouse back row Jack Willis – who was voted the best player in France in 2024-25 – as well as Kyle Sinckler, Manu Tuilagi, Billy Vunipola, Lewis Ludlam and former Exeter star Sam Simmonds.
Prem clubs benefit from central payments from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for their England players, with the national side having a greater say on their management as a result.
England’s policy is similar to that of Ireland and New Zealand, while nations such as Scotland, South Africa and Australia do pick players from overseas.
“You can’t pick and choose a model just to decide this is what will be good or bad for a country,” added Baxter.
“For some countries they’re very strict on it and it works really well for them. We’ve got to decide what we’re comfortable with and stick to it.”
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