Matt Gibbon

Matt Gibbon is a squat, strong shouldered loosehead prop who achieved his Wallabies dream despite a “tough and tumultuous journey”.

Gibbon had a complicated upbringing, one that gave him enviable resilience and perspective. He and elder brother Alex (who played for both Queensland and Australian Mens’ Sevens) grew up on their grandparent’s north coast of New South Wales farm with his cerebral palsy-afflicted mum. Dave Pollock, the boy’s grandfather, guided them into rugby as an outlet for their youthful aggression.

Matt played his first rugby aged seven for the Dave-coached Wollongbar-Alstonville Pioneers. Both boys played junior country representative rugby before they crossed north of the border to attend secondary school at St Joseph’s Nudgee College. In 2013, his final year, Matt played in the premiership winning 1st XV and from there went on to represent Australian Schools.

After school, Matt relocated to Sydney, joined Southern Districts, and took up a trade as an electrician. He played four seasons in the NRC with Greater Sydney Rams (2015-16) and the NSW Country Eagles (2017-18) before the Rebels invited him down south to train with their non-Wallabies’ at the end of 2018. Coach Dave Wessels later said, “There was a moment which impressed me where he was a loosehead, and we needed a tighthead in a drill pre-Christmas. We asked him if he could do it and most people would flinch at that, but Matt didn’t bat an eyelid."

Gibbon debuted for the Rebels in the opening round, 34-27 win over the Brumbies in Canberra and capped off a remarkable season of professional rugby when he won the prestigious Spirit of Weary Dunlop award. A surprise pre RWC-19 call-up from Michael Cheika to train with the Wallabies whetted his appetite for further honours before near back-to-back shoulder injuries forced him to have two separate surgeries.

Back to full strength in 2022, Gibbon earned a call-up for Australia ‘A’ in the Pacific Nations Cup before he was included in the senior Wallaby squad for the Argentine leg of The Rugby Championship. Ironically, Gibbon won his first Test cap - against the Pumas in Mendoza - alongside childhood friend Jed Holloway.

Highlights

2013 Represented Australian Schools, alongside Connal McInerney, Ned Hannigan and Andrew Kellaway, against Ireland U18s (L 8-14)

2022 Gibbon made his Test debut off the bench when he replaced James Slipper at loosehead in the 72nd minute of the 41-26. 1st Test victory over Argentina. He picked up a second cap in the second match of that Argentine series, and three more on the Spring Tour. Gibbon played his first run-on XV international against Italy in Florence.