Wallabies’ ‘remarkable servant’ and ‘incredibly popular’ most capped player to retire after All Blacks Test

Veteran Wallabies front-row James Slipper has announced that he will retire from his record-breaking international career after Saturday’s second Bledisloe Cup Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth.

The 36-year-old became only the third player to make 150 Test appearances – alongside Wales second-row Alun Wyn Jones (171) and New Zealand lock Sam Whitelock (153) – in last weekend’s clash with the All Blacks at Eden Park in Auckland.

However, his career will finish in Perth, where it also started when he made his international debut as a 21-year-old against England at the Subiaco Oval in 2010.

Slipper, who is primarily a loosehead prop but also capable of packing down on the tighthead side of the scrum, caught the eye in his debut international season as he made 14 appearances for Australia despite only playing three games for the Queensland Reds that year.

Fifth Wallaby to face the British & Irish Lions in two series

Earlier this year, he became only the fifth Wallaby in 126 years to play in two separate British & Irish Lions series after initially facing the famous touring side in 2013 as well.

That meant he joined a unique club of fellow Wallaby greats John Thornett (1959 and 1966), Peter Johnson (1959 and 1966), Tony Miller (1959 and 1966) and George Smith (2001 and 2013), who also managed the feat.

He also joined Smith as just the second player to achieve that achievement during the professional era.

Slipper is Australia’s most capped Test player and has made more Test appearances than any other international front-row – 14 clear of Ireland’s Cian Healy.

In 2015, Slipper also became the Wallabies’ 83rd Test captain and has gone on to lead Australia on 15 occasions. He is one of only 13 Wallabies to make 100 Test appearances and reached the milestone in 2020 in a memorable 24-22 win over the All Blacks at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

When he was selected for Australia’s 2023 Rugby World Cup squad, Slipper joined exclusive company for his country at the global showpiece as he joined George Gregan and Adam Ashley-Cooper as the only Australians to play at four separate World Cups, after also being part of Australia’s 2011, 2015 and 2019 campaigns.

Last year’s Test against New Zealand in Sydney was a memorable occasion for Slipper as he broke Gregan’s record as the most-capped Wallaby, and he finished the 2024 international campaign after playing in nine of Australia’s 14 Tests.

Slipper explained his reasoning for his retirement and revealed that he is full of pride after representing his country on the international stage for so long.

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“Representing the Wallabies has been the single proudest achievement of my rugby career and a privilege I have never taken for granted,” he said.

“As a young kid on the Gold Coast playing backyard footy with my brothers, it was a dream to pull on the gold jersey, and to be able to say I’ve lived my dream for what’s coming on 16 years is more than I could ever have asked for.

‘The right time for me to step away from Test rugby’

“It feels like the right time for me to step away from Test rugby. There’s a number of good young props coming through who will need time in the saddle leading into what’s going to be an unbelievable experience of a home Rugby World Cup in 2027.

“It will also allow me to spend more quality time with my wife Kara and two young daughters Lily and Ava which is something that I owe to them after 16 years of full-time professional rugby.

“There’s plenty of people I need to thank and I’ll do that when the time is right but for now my focus is on preparing well to finish the Rugby Championship in a positive manner with the team.”

Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh praised Slipper for the longevity of his Wallabies career.

“James has been a remarkable servant of Australian Rugby and will go down in history as one of the most durable, dependable and respected players to ever pull on a Test jersey anywhere in the world,” he said.

“To reach the milestones he has across 16 professional seasons, particularly as a front rower, is testament to his professionalism and the way he goes about his work.

“Everyone in Australian Rugby will be cheering James on for his final Test match and looking forward to 2026 when he proudly pulls on the Brumbies jersey once again.”

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt echoed Waugh’s sentiments.

“First and foremost Slips is a great person. He’s incredibly popular in the group and is the ultimate team man,” he said.

“I know how much representing the Wallabies means to him and his record speaks for itself with the number of milestones he has achieved at the highest level of the game.”

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