Here's a statistic that puts durability into perspective: James Slipper needs just one more Super Rugby appearance to become the all-time record holder, yet the Brumbies have benched him this weekend.
The veteran Australian prop is on the cusp of breaking the all-time Super Rugby appearance record after being left out of the table-topping ACT Brumbies' squad to face Fijian Drua. Slipper is currently level with the record held by retired All Blacks great Wyatt Crockett on 202 appearances. Rather than rush him to the record, the Brumbies have opted for strategic rest.
Coach Stephen Larkham said Slipper was not injured, but being rested for the round five trip to Fiji on Saturday. The decision reflects a broader squad management philosophy. Larkham said "We want to make sure that we're not burning our players out" and noted that Slipper had played every game already with significant travel involved. It's a practical choice that prioritises the long view over immediate milestone gratification.
The veteran prop is now on track to beat the milestone on his home ground in a week's time. That context matters: Slipper's record-breaking moment will come at Bruce Stadium with the Canberra crowd behind him, rather than in Fiji.
At 36 years old, Slipper has already reshaped what durability in rugby means. Beyond club football, he already holds the record as the most capped Wallaby of all time, having surpassed George Gregan last year, with 143 Test appearances. He made his Super Rugby debut for the Reds way back in 2010, meaning he has sustained excellence across sixteen years of professional rugby at the highest level.
When Slipper does take the field next week, he will not only move past Crockett but cement a legacy built on consistency rather than flashiness. The numbers reveal the real story: among Super Rugby's elite club, only Crockett, the former All Blacks prop who played 202 matches for the Crusaders, has played more than Slipper. Breaking that record would place Slipper in genuine sporting immortality, the second player ever to reach such a threshold, and the first Australian to do so.