On Thursday, 31 July 2025, Wallabies scrumhalf Nic White announced his retirement and intention to pass the baton to a younger generation.
The 35-year-old, who made his Australian debut in 2013 and has been capped 72 times, will hang up his international boots after the third and final Test against the British & Irish Lions in Sydney on Saturday.
He will retire from all professional rugby at the end of 2025.
“Pulling on the gold jersey was a dream of mine when I was a young boy and to say I’ve done it 72 times, with one last crack on Saturday night, is something I’m incredibly proud of. There’s been great competition for the nine jersey here in the Wallabies for a number of years.“
It feels like the right time to pass on the baton with some more good young players coming through who will need time in the saddle leading into what’s going to be an unbelievable experience of a home Rugby World Cup in 2027,” said White.
White made his Super Rugby debut with the ACT Brumbies in 2011, helping them to the tournament title two years later. He spent five years with Montpellier in France and the Exeter Chiefs in England before returning home for three more seasons with the Brumbies before moving to Western Force ahead of the 2024 Super Rugby campaign.
A shoulder injury saw him miss the 2013 British & Irish Lions series, but he bounced back to become a fixture of the national team.
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt said White is a great man to have in a squad.
“He’s team first all the time and has been at the top of the game for over a decade. Having coached against Whitey, and now worked with him in the Wallabies environment, he’s the ultimate competitor.”
Meanwhile, White and hulking prop Taniela Tupou were handed starts for the Wallabies’ third Test against the Lions, but influential flanker Rob Valetini was ruled out.
White replaces Jake Gordon for his 73rd and last Test.
He is one of the two changes among the backs with Dylan Pietsch in for left wing Harry Potter, who pulled a hamstring in their epic 29-26 second Test defeat in Melbourne last weekend, where they blew an 18-point lead.
Valetini was also injured in the match, failing to return for the second half after a calf injury that kept him out of the 27-19 first Test defeat in Brisbane flared up again.
His absence is another setback for Australia with first-choice tighthead prop Allan Alaalatoa already ruled out with a shoulder problem.
Tom Hooper comes in for Valetini, linking up with Fraser McReight and Harry Wilson in the loose forward trio, while Tupou replaces Alaalatoa to partner fellow prop James Slipper and hooker David Porecki.
Nick Frost and Will Skelton retain their spots as the locks.
The starting XV is otherwise unchanged for the dead-rubber Test, which culminates the Lions’ nine-match Australia tour.
