There\u2019s something re-energising about coming back to where it all began \u2014 and for lock Matt Philip, playing for the NSW Waratahs in his home state, feels like closing a circle.<\/p>\n
\nHaving played a wealth of international rugby, Philip, 28, is back home in Sydney, amongst family, friends and the club which first set his sights on professional rugby.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe Waratahs were the first team which really made me want to become a professional rugby player. I have distinct memories of being a young kid watching games at the old Sydney Football Stadium,\u201d Philip said.<\/p>\n
\nPhilip is a 28 cap Wallaby. He will also captain of the Waratahs for Super Rugby AUS that starts on Friday night against the Western Force at Warringah Rugby Park.<\/p>\n
\nHe didn\u2019t arrive at rugby by default.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhen I was younger, I wanted to be a professional surfer. I grew up near the beach and my dad surfed, but eventually rugby started to take over,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\nAs Philip grew, so did his passion for the sport and the desire to strive for excellence and compete. Philip\u2019s overseas stints changed his mindset, and skill sets around the sport.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAll the competitions have quite different DNA,\u201d Philip said.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe Top 14 competition is very contact-heavy \u2014 they love the lineout maul.
\n\u201cSo, as captain I\u2019m eager to bring that experience back to the Waratahs.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cJapan is super athletic, skilful and fast. So, I had to be diligent with preparation and recovery. Super Rugby sits between the two: physical, but with exciting pace and talent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThat range of experience is exactly what the Waratahs are counting on \u2014 front-row grit combined with match-sharp athleticism.<\/p>\n
\nThe Super Rugby AUS Waratahs squad Philip has joined is a mix of young Academy, Shute Shield and Super Rugby players.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThere\u2019s a fresh enthusiasm in the group,\u201d Philip said.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cA lot of the boys are from the Academy and Shute Shield; so, it\u2019s a great chance for them to put their case forward.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cTrainings have been super high energy. They\u2019re keeping me young, especially with the dynamic gym work, and it\u2019s been really beneficial for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nLeadership matters to Philip because it\u2019s where his own pathway began.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI came through the Waratahs Academy system,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI was captain of the Waratahs under 20\u2019s team when we won in Canberra.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIt means a lot to captain this team. I never got to play for the Waratahs top team before; so, to do that now is a huge deal for me and my family.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nWhy return now? The answer is straightforward for Philip.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI\u2019d been in discussions before, but when Dan McKeller [Waratahs Head Coach] and Joe Schmidt [Wallabies Head Coach] reached out, I was super pumped,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI\u2019m a Sydney boy \u2014 my family and friends are here. I\u2019m passionate about the club doing well, and it\u2019s important for Australian rugby because this place is rugby-crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nOn a day-to-day level Philip\u2019s aims are clear: to bring standards and lead the next wave of forwards.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a good opportunity to help the younger lads and set standards at training every day \u2014 that\u2019s something I take seriously,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\nOff the field. Philip keeps his routine low-key.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI love the beach. I love swimming down there, and I\u2019m into golf at the moment.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI\u2019m terrible [at golf] and avoid playing with the boys who have much lower handicaps, but I practice. So, when team golf day comes, I can be in the mix.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Match Details<\/p>\n
NSW Waratahs Vs Western Force<\/p>\n
Where: Warringah Rugby Park, Sydney<\/p>\n
When: Friday, 12 September 2025\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kick-off: 7.30 pm (AEST)\u00a0<\/p>\n
The game will be televised LIVE and on demand via Stan Sport – The Home of Rugby and the Rugby.com.au Youtube Channel<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There\u2019s something re-energising about coming back to where it all began \u2014 and for lock Matt Philip, playing…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":132041,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,91528,760,85],"class_list":["post-132040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nsw-waratahs-men","tag-rugby","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132040"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132040\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=132040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}