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SYDNEY (AP) — Al Baxter is hoping for one more trip to the Rugby World Cup before he retires in December as Australia's most capped test prop.
Baxter, 34, announced Wednedsay he'll retire from representative rugby when his ARU contract expires at the end of the year.
He made his first appearance for the New South Wales Waratahs in 1999 and played his first test match for the Wallabies in the 2003 Bledisloe Cup decider against New Zealand at Auckland.
The 116-kilogram frontrower has played in 69 tests, beating the previous record of 51 test caps for a prop set by his former coach Ewen McKenzie.
Baxter's most recent test was the 19-18 loss to the All Blacks at Sydney in 2009, but he has told Wallabies coach Robbie Deans that he's available for a third World Cup squad if selected for the 2011 edition in New Zealand starting in September.
He will line up for his 120th Super rugby match this weekend for New South Wales against the Highlanders.
"I've never been a big one on statistics — that's not what has motivated me, but it does mean a lot to know that my career was well regarded," Baxter said in a statement Wednesday. "The appearance record is a nice thing to know that I achieved although I doubt it will last for long, given the amount of tests that are played these days."
Baxter is married with three children and works as an architect around his commitments as a professional rugby player.
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Baxter, 34, announced Wednedsay he'll retire from representative rugby when his ARU contract expires at the end of the year.
He made his first appearance for the New South Wales Waratahs in 1999 and played his first test match for the Wallabies in the 2003 Bledisloe Cup decider against New Zealand at Auckland.
The 116-kilogram frontrower has played in 69 tests, beating the previous record of 51 test caps for a prop set by his former coach Ewen McKenzie.
Baxter's most recent test was the 19-18 loss to the All Blacks at Sydney in 2009, but he has told Wallabies coach Robbie Deans that he's available for a third World Cup squad if selected for the 2011 edition in New Zealand starting in September.
He will line up for his 120th Super rugby match this weekend for New South Wales against the Highlanders.
"I've never been a big one on statistics — that's not what has motivated me, but it does mean a lot to know that my career was well regarded," Baxter said in a statement Wednesday. "The appearance record is a nice thing to know that I achieved although I doubt it will last for long, given the amount of tests that are played these days."
Baxter is married with three children and works as an architect around his commitments as a professional rugby player.
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