London: Beno Obano will become the latest England player to put his Test career on ice with a move to France, after agreeing to join Top 14 side Pau from Bath at the end of the forthcoming season.

According to BBC, the 31-year-old loose-head prop recently won his fifth cap in a defeat by South Africa in July, serving as a backup to first-choice Ellis Genge off the bench. England's head coach, Steve Borthwick, is largely restricted to selecting domestic-based players due to an agreement between Premiership clubs and the Rugby Football Union regarding elite players.

England's pool of loose-head props includes younger talents such as Harlequins' Fin Baxter, Northampton's Emmanuel Iyogun, and Sale's Bevan Rodd, all of whom are competing for a spot. Sale's versatile 22-year-old, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, is also capable of playing on that side of the front row.

Despite Obano's upcoming move, it is unlikely that England will rule out selecting him this season. This contrasts with the situation when Tom Willis announced his move to Bordeaux-Begles for the 2026-27 season. Willis, who had started three matches in the 2025 Six Nations and impressed in a summer series win over Argentina, was excluded from the squad as Borthwick focused on players available for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

Obano, who is not on a central contract, will still be eligible for the tournament, similar to David Ribbans and Joe Marchant, who participated in the 2023 edition after agreeing to moves to France for the following season. He will join a group of England talent playing in France, including Jack Willis, Kyle Sinckler, Billy Vunipola, Manu Tuilagi, Lewis Ludlam, and Sam Simmonds.

Obano's departure will add to the front-row changes at Bath. Previously, South African Thomas du Toit left for the Sharks, while Scotland international Jamie Bhatti joined the team this summer.