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Nick Phipps (rugby union)

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Nick Phipps
Phipps in 2017
BornNicholas James Phipps
(1989-01-09) 9 January 1989 (age 37)
Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, Australia
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight88 kg (13 st 12 lb; 194 lb)
SchoolThe King's School
UniversitySydney University
Notable relatives
Rugby union career
Position Scrum-half
Current team Waratahs
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2011–2013 Rebels 47 (30)
2014–2019 Waratahs 87 (90)
2017 Greater Sydney Rams 1 (5)
2018 Sydney Rays 1 (0)
2019–2022 London Irish 64 (47)
2022–2026 NEC Green Rockets 36 (61)
2027– Waratahs 0 (0)
Correct as of 6 August 2026
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2011–2019 Australia 72 (40)
National sevens team
Years Team Comps
2009–2010 Australia Sevens
Medal record
Men's rugby union
Representing  Australia
Rugby World Cup
Silver medal – second place2015 EnglandSquad
Bronze medal – third place2011 New ZealandSquad
Men's rugby sevens
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place2010 DelhiTeam competition

Nicholas James Phipps (born 9 January 1989) is an Australian rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for the Waratahs in the Super Rugby. Between 2011 and 2019, Phipps played for the Australia national team, making 72 Test caps and playing a backup role in their 2015 Rugby World Cup in which they finished runners-up.

Early life

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Phipps playing for the Rebels in 2011.

Phipps was educated at The King's School and in 2009 captained Sydney University's premiership-winning 1st Colts team.[1] As of 2017, he was studying a Masters of International Business at Sydney University.[2]

Career

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Rebels

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Phipps signed to the Melbourne Rebels in July 2010.[1] Phipps mentors for the 2011 Super Rugby season included former Wallaby halfback Sam Cordingley.[3] Phipps said he was looking forward to learning from his fellow halfbacks, Cordingley, and Kingi, and also from Rebels centre (and former Wallaby) Julian Huxley.[1]

In May 2012 Phipps combined with Kurtley Beale in the halves (9 & 10) against the Bulls from South Africa.[4] Beale had been moved from fullback to flyhalf following Danny Cipriani's unexpected departure from the Rebels.[5] Phipps scored a try under the posts.[6]

Waratahs

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Phipps moved back to Sydney to play for the Waratahs commencing 2014.[7][8]

Rebels coach Damien Hill said, "Nick has played a major part in laying the foundations of this Club and it is disappointing to see him leave. He replicates our team ethos in everything he does, both on a off the rugby field."[9]

The Wallabies and Waratahs scrum half re-signed with the ARU and NSW Waratahs in January 2017 for a two-year contract extension that takes Phipps through to the end of the 2019 season. In March 2017 he brought up his 100th super rugby cap.[10]

London Irish

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On 1 February 2019, Phipps travel to England to join London Irish in the English Premiership ahead of the 2019–20 season.[11]

Return to the Waratahs: 2027

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In May 2026, after finishing his time in Japan, Phipps said that he was returning to Australia to assess his options.[12] By July, reports emerged that both Phipps and former Waratahs teammate Bernard Foley were in contract negotiations with the Waratahs to return for their 2027 season.[13] On 6 August 2026, the Waratahs confirmed both Phipps and Foley's signing for ahead of the 2027 season.[14]

International career

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His grandfather and great uncle, both called Jim, played for the Wallabies.[15] Following the rich family culture within rugby Phipps made his international debut playing for Australia in the 2009 IRB Sevens World Series.[1]

Phipps played in the Australian Sevens at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, in Delhi.[16] He scored a try and kicked eight conversions in his Games' debut.[1][17] Australia went on to win Silver, losing the final to New Zealand.[16]

In late 2010 Phipps toured with the Wallabies,[18] and was named on the bench against the Leicester Tigers.[19] In August 2011 Phipps became one of three halfbacks selected for the Wallabies in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.[20][21] Phipps played 26 minutes for the Wallabies against Russia.[22] He was one of three Rebels to play in the tournament, the others being new signings James O'Connor and Kurtley Beale.[23] He has continued his international career playing and appearing in the bench frequently since his debut in the green and gold.

After almost two years since Phipps started for the Wallabies on home soil, he was chosen for his 29th start in a Wallabies jersey in the third deciding test against Ireland.[24]

Personal life

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Phipps is the grandson of Jim Phipps,[12] and great-nephew of Walter Phipps, both former Wallabies.[12][25]

Phipps married Ebony in 2018[26] and welcomed a son in early 2019.

Awards and honours

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Waratahs

Australia

Australia Sevens

Individual

  • Sydney University Male Blue of the Year: 2017[30]
  • Celebrity Men's Health Man of the Year: 2016[31]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Du Plessis, Phipps and Pyle join the Melbourne Rebels". Heavens Game. 1 July 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  2. ↑ "Nick Phipps commits to ARU until end of 2019". Sydney University Football. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  3. ↑ Paxinos, Stathi (1 October 2010). "Mentor Cordingley to take on young guns". The Age. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
  4. ↑ "Beale relishing fly half role – ABC Grandstand Sport (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  5. ↑ Rebels Media Unit (30 April 2012). "Cipriani to return home to pursue England dream" (Press release). Melbourne Rebels. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  6. ↑ Stevenson, Andrew (4 May 2012). "Brave Rebels fall short in thriller" (Press release). Melbourne Rebels. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  7. ↑ Waratahs Media Unit (16 March 2013). "Nick Phipps confirms move to Waratahs" (Press release). Waratahs. Retrieved 16 March 2013.{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  8. ↑ "Phipps to help Tahs run..." Rugby 365. 16 March 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  9. ↑ Rebels Media Unit (16 March 2013). "Nick Phipps announces his departure from the Rebels at season's end" (Press release). Rebels. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  10. ↑ "'I just wasn't ready to leave': Why Phipps re-signed with the ARU". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  11. ↑ "London Irish: Australia pair Nick Phipps and Curtis Rona to join club next season". BBC Sport. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  12. 1 2 3 Pickering, Mark (15 May 2026). "Ex-Wallabies star Nick Phipps to return to Australia after NEC exit". rugbyjp.com.
  13. ↑ Payten, Iain (14 July 2026). "They led NSW to their only Super Rugby title. Now they are back in blue". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Entertainment.
  14. ↑ Worthington, Sam (6 August 2026). "Waratahs go back to the future with double Wallabies swoop". Nine.com.au. Nine Entertainment. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  15. ↑ AAP (11 July 2011). "Another Tongan eager to be a Wallaby". Australian Rugby Union. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
  16. 1 2 Smith, Wayne (13 October 2010). "Bledisloe pain all over again in sevens thriller". The Australian. Archived from the original on 13 October 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  17. ↑ "Nick Phipps player profile". Melbourne Rebels. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  18. ↑ Beniuk, David (13 November 2010). "Cipriani finally ready to Rebel". Australian Rugby Union. Archived from the original on 22 February 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
  19. ↑ Rebels Media Unit (8 November 2010). "Rebel Phipps Awaits Wallabies Debut" (Press release). Melbourne Rebels. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  20. ↑ Robinson, Georgina (19 August 2011). "Uni graduate Phipps keen to learn from World Cup experience". The Age. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
  21. ↑ Rebels Media Unit (10 July 2011). "Phipps to fight for Wallabies number nine" (Press release). Melbourne Rebels. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  22. ↑ "Official RWC 2011 Site – Australia – Nick Phipps". Rwc2011.irb.com. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  23. ↑ ARU (10 July 2011). "Qantas Wallabies Squad For Samoa Test & Tri Nations Named" (Press release). Australian Rugby Union. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  24. ↑ Decent, Tom (19 June 2018). "'Filthy' Phipps relishing chance to steer Wallabies to series victory". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  25. ↑ "Walter James Flower "Jim" Phipps | Classic Wallabies". classicwallabies.com.au. Rugby Australia. Phipps' nephews Jim and Peter toured New Zealand in 1955 and in 2011 his grand nephew Nick became Wallaby #850 when he debuted against Western Samoa.
  26. ↑ Phillips, Sam; Newman, Beth (22 April 2018). "One Percenters: Phipps fits wedding into bye week, Cheika heads north". Rugby.com.au. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  27. ↑ "Waratahs end title drought with victory over Crusaders in Super Rugby final". The Guardian. 2 August 2014.
  28. ↑ "Wallabies beat All Blacks to claim Rugby Championship win and Bledisloe Cup advantage". ABC News. 8 August 2015.
  29. ↑ "Delhi 2010: 10-Year Anniversary" (PDF). commonwealthgames.com.au. Commonwealth Games Australia. p. 99.
  30. ↑ "Nick Phipps named 2017 Male Blue of the Year". Sydney University Football Club. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  31. ↑ "Wallaby Nick Phipps wins in the bloke's health scrum". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
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