Fifteen thrones, one legendary team. Selected by popular fan vote, the ACT Brumbies Legends XV has been revealed: a side stacked with GOATs, immortals, match-winners, and names that still bring a sneaky, wistful tear to the eyes of generations of Brumbies fans.
In the closest contest of all, hooker came down to one vote between Jeremy Paul and Stephen Moore — two warriors who defined their eras in very different ways. In the end, JP got the nod by the slimmest of margins, but this was one of those selections where you could flip a coin and still feel guilty.
Across the park, it was the same story. Titans everywhere. Legends shoulder to shoulder. And only fifteen jumpers available.
So, with the heavens rumbling above GIO Stadium and the rugby gods watching, here is the Brumbies Legends XV.
The evergreen cornerstone who seems to get better with age. Slips is the ultimate team man, possessing a workmanlike attitude and the best low tackle in the game. He stands on the precipice of breaking the all-time Super Rugby games record, and you wouldn’t find a bad game from him in the bunch.
The chosen hooker, the rake with the hands of a back and master of the big man’s alley support line. 112 Brumbies caps and 23 tries are testament to just how good this man was. JP was a relentless competitor who brought fire, speed, and steel to every contest.
A modern-day enforcer with a captain’s mindset. 145 caps and the most capped captain, Al is the sort of man you would follow into the mists of Valhalla and the kind of tighthead you build your whole club around.
The true lineout thief. He now graces our screens, but back in the day he was the quintessential second rower. Tall, rangy, and with a wit sharper than old-school metal studs, Goog was a towering lock who made opposition lineouts second-guess every call.
A one-hand carrying, high-stepping force of nature, Radike was a rugby cheat code who could play anywhere and do things on the park people his size shouldn’t have been able to. He only played 35 times for the Brumbies, but his impact — and his clear love for the game — left an indelible mark on the Canberra faithful.
The king of niggle! Melon was the man you would least like to meet in the dark nether regions of a ruck. The big flanker was also a try-scoring machine, crossing the paint 31 times in Super Rugby — a record for forwards at the time.
The GOAT. The breakdown god. Your favourite rugby player’s favourite rugby player. The No. 7 with the dreads redefined the position. He could run, hit, pass, grubber, chip-and-chase. Really, there wasn’t a thing he couldn’t do. George Smith won 10 Brett Robinson Players’ Player of the Year Awards, including eight in a row. Enough said.
Power personified. A rampaging modern titan who runs like he’s angry at the ground and personally offended by the opposition. Already nearing 100 caps and with 20 tries to his name, he’s a modern force of nature. The scary part? Bobby V is only getting better.
The Governor! The mouthy, master conductor. George didn’t just play Brumbies rugby — he commanded it. With a pristine pass, whether 30m across field or a cheeky one behind the back, George was THE scrum-half for a generation of world rugby.
Bernie was quiet, controlled, and devastating in the way only the truly gifted can be. Larkham conducted his backline like a composer with a stadium for an amphitheatre. His long pass should be hung in the Louvre, and he had that ghost-like ability to float across the field and through defences. Now, from the coach’s box, he shapes the Brumbies again — proving great tacticians never stop pulling the strings, they just move to a higher vantage point.
Speight was the kind of winger who could beat defenders in a phone booth — all footwork, balance, and agility that left blokes grabbing at air. With 122 caps and 46 tries, he wasn’t just a finisher on the edge… he was a creator, turning nothing into something with a shimmy, a shake, and a grin you only saw after it was already too late.
From Kid Dynamite to heir apparent, to classy veteran, Gits racked up 67 caps for the team he grew up supporting (with a brief sojourn west in the middle — but who remembers that?) and 457 points. He was the epitome of exciting rugby, inspiring millions of kids to bleach their hair, strap on headgear, and try to step anything that moved.
A Stirlo unders line still makes South African and Kiwi fans quake in their boots. Dubbed “Captain Insano,” he was the centre who hit like a truck, could slot kicks from anywhere, and had (gloved) hands that could snatch an intercept from the waiting hands of hapless opposition.
The consummate Brumby across 86 games for his hometown club. A silky-smooth footy player with country charm, Roffy was a finisher with divine timing and ice in his veins. Breaking the Super Rugby try-scoring record (15 in one season!) in the Grand Final was the icing on the rugby cake to celebrate a stellar career.
Andrew walked on air, barely leaving footprints on the grass as he sped past defenders. A natural footy player and rugby league convert; he turned every run into a highlight reel. In just 26 games, he crossed the line 31 times, leaving fans in awe and opposition defenders wondering if he’d simply vanished into thin air.
If rugby were a Greek epic, this XV would be the pantheon — the anointed few, the heroes who are exalted and revered.
It’s a side built on Brumbies DNA. Toughness up front, genius in the halves, and strike power everywhere else.
And while there were heartbreaks in the selection room — and more than a few names who could’ve easily earned their own throne — this is the XV that rises to the summit.
