Departing Wallaby James Slipper has been able to reflect on his illustrious career after pulling on the gold jersey for the last time.
Slipper has found himself in the spotlight over the past fortnight, a place the self-confessed introvert would rather trade for the comforts of a scrum.
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The Queensland-born prop became the first Australian to 150 caps before calling time on his career, having prolonged his stint in the gold jersey after initially looking at retiring after the British & Irish Lions series.
“It’s been a long week. I’m quite an introvert and my phone was going off quite a bit this week, which was a bit awkward for me. Now that it’s done, that’s probably where the relief comes from,” Slipper said post match.
“Once I was announced in the team and that I was retiring, a lot of old coaches and schoolmates [got in contact]. It was like a big reconnecting of the old players I played with.
"It was probably the first time I’ve ever reflected on my career.
“...It means everything. I’m a proud Aussie and very patriotic when playing for my country. I bleed gold and I really enjoyed playing for my country.”
Slipper isn't calling time yet on professional Rugby, set to pull on the boots for the ACT Brumbies in 2026.
He is in line to become the first player to play 100 games for two separate clubs while also sitting six games behind Wyatt Crockett's all-time record of 203 games.
“It doesn’t feel like I’ve cut ties completely with rugby, because I am still playing for the 'Brums' next year, I’m looking forward to that,,” Slipper said.
"I really enjoy Super Rugby and I get to spend time with my family most nights, not as much travel with Super Rugby as there is with Test footy."
He kept the door open to take up coaching, with scrum coach Mike Cron backing him to thrive in the role.
“He's been pushing that for ages. He's probably trying to get me out the door," Slipper laughed when told of Cron's endorsement.
"Would I be a coach? It’s something I’d be interested in, yeah, for sure. It’s just how that looks going forward.
"It is a really special group, it’s one of the tightest groups I’ve seen. I know they get thrown out a fair bit, but there’s a genuine want to get better in this group. I think we’ve got the players, I think we’ve got the staff, and I think we’ve got the game that can push forward into that and compete with the top four in the world."
