Quade Cooper Aims for World Cup Return at 39, Gains Support

WHO:

Flashscore.com - Quade Cooper, 38-year-old Wallabies playmaker, and Joe Schmidt, former head coach of the Wallabies.

Planet Rugby - Dave Wessels, SA Rugby general manager for high-performance rugby.

WHAT:

Flashscore.com - Quade Cooper aims for a comeback for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

Flashscore.com - Cooper has 80 Test caps for Australia.

Planet Rugby - Cooper stated, "The thing is I never retired, I just had other opportunities that presented themselves and at the time when I was deciding do I want to keep playing, I was very mentally tired."

Planet Rugby - Cooper expressed interest in playing for the home World Cup, saying, "So, of course, I’m interested, along with every other ex-player and every other up-and-coming young guy."

WHERE:

Flashscore.com - Cooper took up a coaching role with Kintetsu Liners in Japan.

WHEN:

Flashscore.com - The 2027 Rugby World Cup will be held on home soil in Australia.

Flashscore.com - Cooper joined Kintetsu Liners for the 2025–26 season.

WHY:

Flashscore.com - Australia needs experience at the fly-half position, as nine players were used in that role during the last year.

Planet Rugby - Cooper's potential return is seen as beneficial for Australian rugby, according to Dave Wessels.

HOW:

Flashscore.com - Les Kiss, the new head coach, has included Carter Gordon, Ben Donaldson, and Declan Meredith as fly-half options for upcoming Tests against Japan.

(UPDATED August 2, 2026 14:27 UTC)

Quade Cooper, the 38-year-old Wallabies playmaker, is eyeing a comeback for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, expressing his interest in playing for the home tournament in Australia. Cooper, who has 80 Test caps for Australia, mentioned that he never officially retired but took on coaching responsibilities with Kintetsu Liners in Japan during the 2025–26 season, citing mental fatigue as a factor in his previous decisions. With Australia needing experience at the fly-half position and nine players having filled that role recently, Cooper's potential return is viewed as a positive development for Australian rugby, according to SA Rugby's general manager for high-performance rugby, Dave Wessels.