Recently celebrating his 32nd birthday, the announcement of Greg Holmes in the Wallabies 40-man squad is a testament to his sheer determination, softly-spoken ambition and ability to persist through the ups and downs of professional rugby.
It's these sorts of qualities Wallabies Head Coach, Michael Cheika no doubt admires and sees as a measure of great potential, both phsyically and psychologically.
He hasn't played as a Wallaby for about seven years. Slowly but surely, though, he has earned his place back amongst the Men in Gold.
On a Sunday afternoon during this year's Super Rugby ANZAC Centenary round, the understated front-rower ran out to become Queensland Rugby's most capped Super Rugby player ever, with 124 caps under his belt.
Born on 11 June 1983 and raised in South East Queensland, Holmes made his debut for the Reds back in 2005, the same year he became Wallaby number 804.
Holmes’ junior sporting career included stints in rugby league, from Under 8s to Under 17s, and athletics, where he first represented Australia at the World Junior Athletics Championships in Scotland in discus, hammer and shot put.
He made another visit to Scotland as a representative for his country in 2004, this time for rugby union with the Australian Under 21s.
In his debut Super Rugby season 10 years ago, the Queensland prop made ten appearances for the Reds and scored two tries, a feat which saw him called into the Wallabies the same year.
Holmes earned 13 Test caps between 2005 and 2007 before injury plagued his progression, with his neck, shoulder and knee all requiring attention across the next few years. He was, however, a handy replacement for a wounded James Slipper in the semi-final and Grand final of the Super Rugby season in 2011, which the Reds’ won to become Championship title holders.
Since then, Holmes’ career with his home side has gone from strength to strength, playing in all 17 games for the Reds’ during 2012, earning his 100th Cap for Queensland in 2013, becoming just the third prop to achieve such a milestone, and, last year, featuring in all but one of the Reds’ games.
A product of Queensland’s Sunnybank Rugby Club, an injury to his thumb this year also failed to stop the gutsy forward, and he was once again installed in the Reds' starting tight five.
Off the field, Greg has been nominated on several occasions for RUPA’s Annual Academic Achievement Award having completed several courses including a Diploma of Business, Heavy Vehicle License and his Coxswains Certificate, after showing an interest in a career with the Fire Brigade and / or Water Police post rugby.
