Wallabies keep a stalwart
Experienced front row forward Ben Alexander opted not to pursue an overseas contract and instead stay with the Brumbies and Australia as he seeks to prolong his Wallaby career.
The 30-year-old, Australia's joint most capped prop with 72 appearances alongside Benn Robinson, signed a new one-year contract extension through to the end of 2016.
Under the Australian Rugby Union's new eligibility rules, he could have headed abroad on a lucrative deal and still been available for national selection, but he chose to remain on home soil.
"I am extremely grateful for the opportunities rugby has given me in this country and when I weighed everything up in deciding my future, it became quite clear that this is where I want to be," he said.
"Representing the Wallabies and the Brumbies is something I'm very passionate about, and I feel both teams are trending in the right direction to have plenty of success over the next few years."
In April, the ARU relaxed its eligibility criteria to allow senior players – those with at least 60 Australian caps – at overseas clubs to represent the Wallabies after facing a mass exodus of stars following this year's World Cup.
Before this, players based abroad were unable to represent their country.
The experience of Alexander will prove invaluable to Australian with the Test prop having already experienced the intense nature of a World Cup in 2011, along with starting all three matches against The British & Irish Lions in 2013.
Alexander said he hoped to use that experience to the team's advantage as they tackle new challenges in 2015.
"While the end result wasn't what we wanted, it was a great experience being part of the World Cup in 2011 and it is something I would love to be part of again," he said.
"The squad learned a lot from the tournament and I'm sure those players who took part will be a lot better for the experience this time round.
"There is no doubt that World Cups are really special events, so I'm just working as hard as possible to put my hand up for selection when the moment arrives."
Alexander has been a consistent performer for the Wallabies since his debut, including 48 matches over the past four years, an average of 12 Test matches per season.
Alexander reached his 50-game milestone in 2013 when he joined Al Baxter, Benn Robinson and former Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie as the only props to have done so at that time.
The milestone also saw Alexander become just the 38th player to feature in 50 games for Australia.
