The South African Rugby Union says it has been instructed by the country's ministry of sport to stop selecting Tendai Mtawarira for the national team because he is not a South African citizen.

SARU said on Saturday it had told its selectors they could no longer pick the Zimbabwe-born prop, who has played 22 Tests for South Africa, after it had received a letter from the deputy sports minister.

Mtawarira, nicknamed "Beast" by fans, is legally resident in South Africa and fulfilled the eligibility criteria of the International Rugby Board, according to SARU, but does not hold a South African passport.

The letter said that no foreign player can be selected to a national team.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP