‘I’d never forgive myself’: Why Wallabies star rejected overseas interest
Wallabies enforcer Josh Canham has rejected interest from European juggernauts to remain in Australia, as he casts his gaze towards a Rugby World Cup berth on home soil.
Already locked in for the 2026 season, he inked a one-year contract extension with the Queensland Reds, after earning what was essentially his first starting chance for Australia against Japan in October after Lukhan Salakaia-Loto was forced off in the opening minutes with a rib injury.
“That chance has certainly made me hungry to prove myself and get into that position again. Being in that Wallabies environment every day on tour enabled me to work on individual skills and understand the ins and outs of how the Wallabies go about things,” said Canham, who was forced off late for a head injury assessment.
“I’m definitely going to be pushing for more consistent opportunities. It’s a step in the right direction, but you want to keep pushing because it’s not just about making squads.”
That gave the 24-year-old hope of a consistent run in the gold jumper, which was enough to turn down interest from several French rugby clubs – including La Rochelle’s Stade Rochelais, where former Reds’ winger Suliasi Vunivalu and Wallabies veteran Will Skelton play.
While Canham has managed only two appearances for Australia, the 202cm forward will get one more campaign to impress under Queensland coach Les Kiss before the latter takes the Wallabies’ reins at the end of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Canham said the opportunities to don the national colours at the World Cup next year proved the most enticing carrot, admitting, “if I left too early with all there is to play for in Australia, I’d never forgive myself”.
“I take every offer on its merits and look at every opportunity, but Queensland ticked every box for me, so it was hard to say goodbye at this point. La Rochelle, I was talking to them for a bit – there was a point there where playing with Will would have been really cool,” Canham said.
“But I’m really happy with my decision. That [the World Cup] is the goal for everyone in these systems, so I think if I went over there now and it didn’t give me the best opportunity to make that World Cup squad, I would have always thought ‘what if’.”
Canham played his first season for the Reds last year after the downfall of the Melbourne Rebels, and led his new club for lineout wins and offloads while finishing second for total tackles only behind new skipper Fraser McReight.
But while he confirmed his offloading prowess was a facet he was eager to bring to the fore as a point of difference, he did not believe his connection to Kiss gave him an immediate inside running to the Test arena.
“Not necessarily an inside running, but I think the fact I’ve had him before and I know he’s a good coach is a big point,” Canham said.
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