James Slipper Eyes International Rugby Return Ahead of Key Matches

SYDNEY (AP) — Veteran prop James Slipper has announced his intention to return to international rugby, making himself available for the Wallabies' three Nations Championship encounters scheduled for July, along with a potential appearance in next year's World Cup in Australia. At 37 years old, Slipper boasts an impressive record as Australia’s most-capped international player, having made 151 test appearances.

This season, Slipper played for the ACT Brumbies in Super Rugby and has committed to the team until 2027. Earlier this year, he set a record as the most-capped player in Super Rugby history, reaching his 203rd match. He previously competed in 104 games for the Queensland Reds between 2010 and 2018.

“At this stage, yeah, just for the July series and then there’s a few things again working out behind the scenes, like I want to keep playing next year,” Slipper shared with reporters in Sydney on Wednesday.

Despite announcing his retirement from international play last October, Slipper expressed that he felt he still had more to offer at the test level. “I probably surprised myself a little bit with how well I played this year,” he reflected. “I know I probably wasn’t the best prop running around, but I still felt like I was moving well, so it was just a matter of the circumstances of the year led me to this position.”

With injuries sidelining fellow loosehead props Tom Robertson, Tom Lambert, and Blake Schoupp, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt reached out to Slipper for support. Should he participate in all three tests in July against Ireland, France, and Italy, he could surpass All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock as rugby's second most-capped player with 153 appearances. Retired lock Alun Wyn Jones holds the record with 170 tests.

Slipper also expressed his desire to play in next year's World Cup, which would mark his fifth tournament, following a memorable run to the final in 2015. “If there’s a reason for me to be available for the World Cup, then I’ll put my hand up,” he stated. “I want to make myself probably playing the best rugby I can for the Brumbies . . . but a couple of things need to happen there.”

He emphasized the importance of performing well and being a strong contender among the looseheads in the country. “At no stage am I sitting here thinking I’m going to be a certainty for the World Cup,” Slipper concluded.