A door that was thought to be shut
Quade Cooper packed away his boots to join the Kintetsu Liners staff in Japan last season. But he never officially called time on his career. Now 38 and with 80 caps to his name, the fly-half told The Australian on Saturday that the prospect of a 2027 Rugby World Cup on home soil changes everything.
“I never actually retired, I just had other options when I had to decide whether to keep going, and I was mentally drained,” he said. “So yes, of course it interests me. It’s a World Cup at home, and I know I can still play.”
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A spot still up for grabs in Australia
The idea is hardly far-fetched. The Wallabies have been hunting for a settled No 10 for years. Former head coach Joe Schmidt tried nine different fly-halves during his spell in charge and never really nailed it down.
His successor Les Kiss still does not have an obvious first choice. Carter Gordon, Ben Donaldson and Declan Meredith are sharing the minutes for now ahead of the two-Test series against Japan. “I’ve got three No 10s who’ll carry the side through these first two Tests, and after that we’ll see,” Kiss said.
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A backing that could matter
Dave Wessels, who coached Cooper at Melbourne Rebels and now holds a senior performance role at SA Rugby, has backed the idea of a return on X: “I’m backing this man to pull this off. He’s a serious athlete with a proper work ethic, and above all he loves the game.”
Cooper would not be on his own. Bernard Foley and James O’Connor, two other Wallabies veterans, are also said to be looking for clubs in Australia ahead of the 2027 deadline. It could leave Les Kiss with a surprise pool of experience a year out from dealing with the pressure of a home World Cup.
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