Cheika has selected 17 forwards and 14 backs and will lead a squad that boasts more than 1,200 Test caps between Hooker Stephen Moore will captain the side at his third consecutive World Cup tournament.
The Wallabies won The Rugby Championship this summer and will complete their World Cup preparations with a training camp at the historic University of Notre Dame, in Indiana. From there they will cross the state border to Chicago to play the USA at Soldier Field, home of the NFL’s Chicago Bears.
Australia’s opening match of Pool A will be against Fiji at the Millennium Stadium on 23 September, followed by Uruguay at Villa Park on 27 September. They will then take on England and Wales at Twickenham on 3 and 10 October respectively, with the two highest-ranked teams at the end of the pool stage advancing to the quarter finals.
Joining Moore in plying at their third World Cup tournament will be 2003 finalist Matt Giteau and vice-captain Adam Ashley-Cooper. Sharing the vice-captaincy role will be the 24-year-old flanker Michael Hooper, who is one of 13 players in the squad who will be attending their first World Cup.
Toby Smith, the only uncapped player in the party, and Sean McMahon are the only players named who have not featured during the 2015 international season.
“We’ve become a really tight group and it was a very difficult process in picking only 31 players. But I know each player selected will travel to England with the full support of those team mates who won’t board the flight,” said Cheika.
“Our primary focus throughout the Super Rugby competition, The Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup was to select a balanced squad between youth, experience and form and this squad certainly delivers on this. It’s also important that we select a squad that will handle the tournament play and our draw in particular, as well as maintain a strong competition for places in the team.
“The first part of the year during the Super Rugby Season, we worked hard at building relationships and strong foundations, and during The Rugby Championship we wanted to continue to improve and play a brand of rugby that Australia could be proud of and get every player contributing towards the outcome. It’s essential that we continue to improve over the next four weeks and we’ll be working hard to make sure we deliver on the qualities we want people to see in the Wallabies team of 2015.”
Wallabies Rugby World Cup Squad
Forwards
Hookers
Stephen Moore – Captain (96 Tests)
Tatafu Polota-Nau (53 Tests)
Props
Greg Holmes (17 Tests)
Sekope Kepu (56 Tests)
Scott Sio (9 Tests)*
James Slipper (66 Tests)
Toby Smith (uncapped)*
Locks
Kane Douglas (15 Tests)*
Dean Mumm (36 Tests)
Rob Simmons (52 Tests)
Will Skelton (11 Tests)*
Backrow forwards
Scott Fardy (24 Tests)*
Michael Hooper – Vice-Captain (45 Tests)*
Ben McCalman (40 Tests)
Sean McMahon (3 Tests)*
Wycliff Palu (55 Tests)
David Pocock (50 Tests)
Backs
Scrumhalves
Will Genia (59 Tests)
Nick Phipps (31 Tests)
Flyhalves
Quade Cooper (55 Tests)
Bernard Foley (17 Tests)*
Inside backs
Kurtley Beale (52 Tests)
Matt Giteau (95 Tests)
Matt Toomua (25 Tests)*
Outside backs
Adam Ashley-Cooper – Vice-Captain (108 Tests)
Israel Folau (33 Tests)*
Rob Horne (26 Tests)
Drew Mitchell (65 Tests)
Henry Speight (3 Tests)*
Joe Tomane (15 Tests)*
Tevita Kuridrani (24 Tests)*
* New to World Cup rugby
