The Statesmen – Charles Wilson (1950s), Dick Marks (1960s), Stan Pilecki (1970s), Jeff Miller (1980s), Rod McCall (1990s) and Matt Cockbain (2000s) – have been unveiled ahead of tonight’s opening Test of the Castrol EDGE France Tour in Brisbane.

The six Wallaby legends epitomise what it means to be a champion of the game and will be called upon in 2014 to be ambassadors for the game of Rugby Union in Australia.

In their position as Statesmen, each will play a role in the current Test series before again being recognised when they come together in the lead-up to Australia’s third Bledisloe Cup Test in October, where they will be presented to the Rugby public.

The group boasts a number of former Wallaby captains and World Cup champions, while each of the 2014 Statesmen continued their involvement in Rugby beyond their playing days in the administration and coaching ranks.

ARU Chief Executive Officer, Bill Pulver, said the Classic Wallabies Statesmen are an important asset to the game, whose achievements are invaluable to the game’s historical roots.

“Our 2014 Classic Wallabies Statesmen are fantastic ambassadors for our code and it’s a pleasure to formally recognise their contributions to the game,” Mr Pulver said.

“Our inductees represent the core values associated with Rugby in Australia and are an inspiration to our current squad of Wallabies and the next generation of players coming through.

“I’d personally like to thank all six Statesmen for the role they have played and continue to play in making our great game what it is today.”

In 2014, the ARU has nominated one Classic Wallabies Statesmen to represent each decade from the 1950s through until the 2000s.

Now in its seventh year, the program forms an important role for the Rugby community in celebrating the history of Rugby in Australia and the good men who have played the game.

Each of the Statesmen has carved a path for future Wallabies to follow in their footsteps and are part of the rich history that the gold jersey represents.

The 2014 ARU Classic Wallabies Statesmen are as follows:

1950s – Charles Wilson (Wallaby #424)

1960s – Dick Marks (Wallaby #483)

1970s – Stan Pilecki (Wallaby #594)

1980s – Jeff Miller (Wallaby #657)

1990s – Rod McCall (Wallaby #684)

2000s – Matt Cockbain (Wallaby #736)