ACT Brumbies veteran James Slipper is on the cusp of breaking the Super Rugby record for most games played and is already thinking about going around again next year. The prop will play his 203rd Super Rugby game against the Chiefs at Canberra Stadium on Friday night, breaking the record set by former All Blacks prop Wyatt Crockett.
The 36-year-old admitted even he had been surprised by his longevity in the game. However he said the time for reflection would come later, when he calls time on his career and can spend more time with his two daughters. 'That will be extremely satisfying that I'll be able to share with those girls and show them that I could actually play rugby at some stage of my life, I'm looking forward to that part,' he said.
Slipper retired from international rugby at the end of 2025, but indicated he would be interested in playing for the Brumbies in 2027. 'In the background I've thought about it, physically I think I can keep going,' he said. 'I'm not sure about the conversations ... nor do I expect them to be happening at this stage of the season. There's probably a fair few other players they need to secure before they start securing a 37-year-old.'
Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham said all indicators showed Slipper would again be an asset next season. 'He's enjoying his rugby, and the most important things at the back of your career are: 1. Are you performing? And 2. Are you still enjoying it? And I think both of those boxes are being ticked,' Larkham said. 'He's a pretty special human, [he] offers a lot to the Brumbies, both on the field and off. One of the best leaders that you'll find in the game. We're lucky to have him.'
The fact Slipper will break the record in Canberra marks a significant turnaround for the veteran prop. Slipper made his Super Rugby debut in 2010 with Queensland before moving to the Brumbies in 2019. 'I remember distinctly chatting with [then Brumbies coach] Dan McKellar at the time, and he convinced me that Canberra was a beautiful place to come live and move down to,' he said. 'I tended to laugh at the time, but to be fair to him, I've fallen in love with Canberra ever since. This is my eighth year here at the Brums and I've loved every year of it, you know, what the Brumbies stand for, how we play the game.'
