Australian prop James Slipper is on track to become the most-capped Australian Super Rugby player, set to surpass Stephen Moore this weekend as he starts for the ACT Brumbies against the New South Wales Waratahs in Canberra. This match will mark Slipper’s 178th appearance in the competition, which began in 2010 when he debuted for the Queensland Reds against the Waratahs.
Last weekend, Slipper was meant to break the record against the Reds in Brisbane, but it was discovered that an administrative error had deprived Moore of one appearance. Slipper expressed his excitement, stating, “It is special. A couple of false starts, but the boys are pretty happy about it because they get to give me another tough week. So yeah, I’m excited. Just looking forward to getting a good result and capping it off.”
Slipper earned his first Wallabies cap in 2010 and won the Super Rugby title with the Reds the following year. However, his career faced a setback in 2018 when he was banned for testing positive for cocaine. He revived his career with the Brumbies in 2019, becoming a key player for both the Canberra-based team and Australia, especially during the World Cup when he filled in for an injured Taniela Tupou.
The 34-year-old mentioned that Moore, his former test partner who also played his entire Super Rugby career with the Reds and Brumbies, reached out to congratulate him. Slipper said, “He actually sent me a message on the weekend, just wishing me all the best. He’s a respected player so you get a text from him, someone I’ve played a lot of rugby with, it’s always nice. It’s a nice feeling to be up there in the company of players like him.”
Following this weekend’s match, Slipper will be ranked below only five New Zealanders in terms of most-capped Super Rugby players, with Wyatt Crockett (202), Aaron Smith (185), Liam Messam (182), and Sam Whitelock (181) ahead of him. With just one year left on his contract after this season, Slipper is unlikely to surpass prop Crockett, but he is grateful for how far he has come. Slipper commented, “I don’t see any players playing to try and reach milestones like this. I think it just comes with a bit of luck. I’ve had a lucky career. I’ve worked hard but I’ve been on the bad side of injuries and that sort of stuff. So I’m humbled that I’ve made it.”
Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford
