How Brumbies prop James Slipper overcame adversity and outlasted everyone

“He’s very reliable. Look at what he’s done over his career and how consistent he’s been. Like we have all been, we were lucky with injuries over his career. He had a few but was generally able to play a lot of games in a season, and played big minutes. And to see another front-rower, there’s a few front-rowers at the top of that list, so that’s probably saying something about us; we either don’t train that hard or we look after ourselves very well.”

They were Test teammates for many years but in a funny twist, Slipper and Moore played only a handful of games together in Super Rugby, given the hooker moved to Canberra in 2009. Slipper was Reds captain when Moore returned for a season in 2017, but even then, the prop missed much the year with an Achilles tendon injury.

Original planning for presentations around Slipper breaking Moore’s record were put on pause this week, after it was discovered the hooker had been robbed of a cap in that 2017 season by a data entry error, when a phantom player called ‘Sam Moore’ was inputted as playing No.2 for the Reds.

“Does that mean I get an extra match fee?” Moore joked, when told by this masthead.

Slipper has felt like a reliable mainstay forever, but there was major doubt about Slipper’s future in Australian rugby in 2018, when he was suspended and fined for twice testing positive to cocaine. He’d spiralled off the field with mental health struggles, dealing with an Achilles tendon injury and his mum’s cancer diagnosis.

But with a door closed at the Reds under Brad Thorn, Slipper moved to Canberra to play for the Brumbies in 2019; where he reignited his career, became a father and has proved a stellar role model for young players. He subsequently captained the Wallabies as well.

“A lot of people don’t come back from that kind of thing, and if you look at what he has done since that, that’s a true reflection of him as a person,” Moore said. “Just the way he fought through those challenges and gone on to become a great Brumby, and become a critical part of the organisation. People are waiting for him to slow down but he hasn’t done that, he is playing some of the best footy of his career over the last couple of years, which is great to see.”

You can’t fluke longevity, so what is Slipper’s secret? He credits his ability to keep trucking on a well-planned training schedule and a competitive instinct that hasn’t seemed to fade.

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“Obviously physically you have to look after your body. Your recovery time goes up as your age does … after you hit 30 you spend as much time in an ice bath as anywhere else. It’s funny when you’re young, it was hard to get in an ice bath, but now it’s hard to get me out of one,” Slipper said. “I enjoy the game, and I enjoy contributing to the game and to a win. That’s a great feeling.”

Slipper last year extended his contract through to the end of 2025, meaning he has a path to next season claim the all-time record of 202 Super Rugby games, held by ex-Crusaders prop Wyatt Crockett.

“These things don’t drive me but if I come close I would be pretty chuffed,” Slipper said.

“I am … correction … I was just a young boy from the Gold Coast who liked playing the game, so to get near that record would blow my mind a bit.”

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