Matt Philip, born on March 7, 1994, is an Australian rugby union player who primarily plays as a lock. He currently represents the Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby. Philip has also played for the Western Force and the Perth Spirit in Australia's National Rugby Championship.
Philip's rugby journey began in Sydney, New South Wales. He represented Australia at the schoolboy level in 2012 and the under-20 level in 2014. He started his senior career playing for Sydney University in the Shute Shield, a premier club rugby competition in Australia.
His impressive performances earned him a call-up to the Sydney Stars squad for the inaugural National Rugby Championship in 2014. During his time with the Stars, Philip made 15 appearances and scored two tries.
In 2016, Philip's talent and versatility as a lock caught the attention of the Western Force. He joined the team during the mid-year rugby union internationals break and was subsequently named in the Force's squad for their tour of South Africa.
He made his Super Rugby debut as a substitute in a match against the Cheetahs. Later that year, he also joined Southland in New Zealand's Mitre 10 Cup.
Philip became a first-choice starter at lock for the Force in 2017. His strong performances for the Perth Spirit in the National Rugby Championship earned him a call-up to the Barbarians team to play against Australia.
He was then selected for the Australian squad for the 2017 Wallabies tour. Philip made his test debut for Australia in a match against Japan, coming on as a replacement.
In 2018, Philip signed a deal to join the Melbourne Rebels for the 2018 and 2019 Super Rugby seasons. He became an integral part of the Rebels forward pack, making a career-high 16 appearances in 2018. The following year, he continued to impress before being sidelined with a foot injury.
After a standout 2020 season, Philip attracted attention from France and signed with TOP 14 club Pau. However, he returned to Australia and re-joined the Melbourne Rebels for the 2022 season, as confirmed in April 2021.
Throughout his career, Philip has accumulated a significant number of Super Rugby caps and has represented Australia at the international level, further establishing himself as a talented and influential lock in the rugby world.
Ahead of the Rugby World Cup 2023,Philip has been named in the training squad for Australia.
KG(07/07/2023)
Career
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Australia No 5 Lock |
2017 - present |
 |
Yokohama Canon Eagles No 5 Lock |
2023 - present |
 |
Southland No 5 Lock |
2016 - 2016 |
 |
Western Force No 5 Lock |
2016 - 2017 |
 |
Perth Spirit No 5 Lock |
2017 - 2017 |
 |
Barbarians No 4 Lock |
2017 - 2019 |
 |
Melbourne Rising No 4 Lock |
2018 - 2020 |
 |
Pau No 5 Lock |
2021 - 2021 |
 |
Melbourne Rebels No 5 Lock |
2018 - 2024 |
