Wallabies prop Matt Gibbon has announced his retirement from professional rugby after failing to recover from a serious knee injury sustained during the Reds' 2025 pre-season.
Gibbon, 30, suffered the injury just before Christmas, dislocating his kneecap and severely damaging the cartilage.
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Despite "months of rehab and input from multiple specialists", the Queenslander today revealed the injury was "career-ending".
“I thought it was going to come good, but it just didn’t. As much as I would love to come back and keep performing at the top level, it’s just not possible anymore," Gibbon said in a statement.
Gibbon played 75 Super Rugby games for the Melbourne Rebels between 2018 and 2023 before signing with Queensland and debuting against Wales at Suncorp Stadium in 2024.
In the Test arena, Gibbon made his Wallaby debut in 2022 against Argentina in Mendoza and went on to represent Australia six times with a further six first-class caps for Australia A.
“That Wales game was a highlight. Playing in front of that Suncorp crowd, with my wife and daughter watching on, it was a really emotional night. I’ll never forget it,” Gibbon said.
“I want to thank my wife, Zanthe for everything … she’s so amazing and I can never thank her enough.
“That’s one of the tough things in rugby. You can’t always be there with your family and that’s a positive that now I can spend the time with them, especially as we await the arrival of our baby boy later this year.”
Gibbon was the second of his siblings to represent Australia with older brother Alex donning gold for the Australian Sevens.
“Alex and I were just two little mongrels from Alstonville. Somehow, we both ended up playing for Australia," he joked.
"I followed him to Sydney, then into professional rugby, and now we’re already talking about coaching junior teams together. That shared journey has meant a lot."
