Nic White: Moustachioed Maverick Talks Peaky Blinders, Lions Tour & Exeter Love in Mail Sport Barbershop Chat
Nic White’s Moustache Mastery and Lions Showdown
(Images: 1. White’s Victorian-style moustache. 2. White and Nik Simon post-trim. 3. Wallabies training camp with Will Skelton.)
Nic White hops out of a barber’s chair in Perth, his iconic moustache freshly trimmed to mirror Peaky Blinders’ Arthur Shelby. “Your turn!” he grins, urging journalist Nik Simon into the seat. “By tour’s end, you’ll look just like me—maybe taller,” quips the 5ft 9in Wallabies scrum-half, whose facial hair has defined him since 2017. Pre-game grooming at Guru barbershop is a ritual for White, who’s gearing up for a career-defining clash against the British and Irish Lions.
From Exeter to Australia
White nostalgically recalls his Exeter days, where he won Premiership titles before returning home in 2020 for Wallabies duty. “I nearly signed a four-year extension,” he admits. “But Rob Baxter hugged me and said, ‘Go chase your dream.’” He still shares laughs with former teammates like Jack Nowell and the Simmonds brothers via WhatsApp.
Rooming with a Giant
In the Wallabies camp, White jokes about bunking with 6ft 8in lock Will Skelton. “They put us together so I can use the trundle bed!” Their playful rivalry echoes past battles: White ribs Skelton about Saracens’ salary-cap scandal, while Skelton reminds him of Exeter’s lost finals.
Family and Fire
White’s three sons, born in England, now chase emus in the Pinnacles Desert. “They’d choose the Wallabies over England,” he laughs. On the field, the “native beast” mentality remains. “I’ll get under Mack Hansen’s skin,” he says of his ex-Brumbies teammate turned Ireland star. “Told him to jump at the Connacht chance—look at him now!”
Lions Banter and Retirement Plans
White teases the Lions’ reliance on Southern Hemisphere talent: “Duhan van der Merwe, a Kiwi or two—they’ll pick anyone!” But he respects Ireland’s Jamison Gibson-Park, calling him rugby’s best traditional scrum-half, even over France’s Antoine Dupont. “Dupont’s a highlight reel, but Gibson-Park’s precision is Smith-esque. I want his Lions jersey.”
At 35, White knows retirement looms. “Six more months, then I’ll decide. It’s time to empty the tank.” He aims to revive Australian rugby after Eddie Jones’ disastrous 2023 World Cup stint. “This Lions series is crucial. We’re rebuilding trust with fans—60,000 Brits invading will test that!”
Final Flourish
As the barber finishes, White roars a Ron Burgundy quote: “Who put a question mark in the teleprompter?” He jokes about Simon’s new look: “A solid six out of 10! Keep it for the Tests—I’ll be watching!”
(Images: 4. White’s Exeter home. 5. Gibson-Park in action. 6. Lions squad lineup.)
With his signature wit and grit, White embodies rugby’s fading breed of characters—a Shelby-styled scrum-half ready for one last stand.
