The lock helped Stade Rochelais to a second successive Heineken Champions Cup title in May, playing the full 80 minutes in their victory over Leinster Rugby in the final – just as he did in 2022.

Prior to that, Skelton lifted the Heineken Champions Cup with Saracens, starting in the 2019 final, when the Gallagher Premiership side also defeated Leinster.

He is one of two EPCR players named in Eddie Jones’ 33-man Australia squad, with Stade Toulousain lock Richie Arnold the other representative.

"My job is to come here and change the team and part of that is changing the way that teams lead and Will's a good team man," Jones told said.

"He's played a lot of winning teams in Europe, and he brings that almost common touch to the team to bring them together.”

Skelton added: "It's very special, not just for me but for my family. Representing this country and putting on the jersey is one thing and then to be named captain selected by Eddie is something I will never forget.

"With that comes a lot of responsibilities and a bit more pressure but for me, it's just about being myself, leading in the only way I can, which is through my actions.

"I'm not much of a talker around the team, but it's about those micro comms and getting this group well connected for the hard slog that will be the World Cup."

Three-time Heineken Champions Cup winner Will Skelton has been named as Australia’s captain for the 2023 World Cup.