Rugby: Stand seen as costing Pocock Wallabies captaincy

David Pocock of the Brumbies. Photo / Getty Images

David Pocock's stand against homophobia in rugby will cost him any chance of captaining Australia again, says ex-Wallaby Greg Martin.

Pocock's on-field complaints to the referee led to Waratahs forward Jacques Potgieter being fined A$20,000 for using homophobic slurs during his side's Super Rugby win over the Brumbies on Sunday.

Rugby commentator Martin says Pocock did the right thing but his action will split opinion in the game.

"He'll pay for it. It will mean that he will never captain the Wallabies again."

Martin said yesterday opinion would be split "between clear-thinking, modern-thinking footballers who will support David Pocock and the more old school hard heads who will say that was a disgrace, he shouldn't have done that".

It is the second time in six months Pocock has taken a public stance on an issue, after he was arrested in November for chaining himself to a digger in a protest against coal mining in a New South Wales state forest.

Martin believed the Australian Rugby Union would no longer be comfortable with having Pocock as national team captain.

"They'll get worried that he will get up on his soapbox about all sorts of issues."

Pocock captained the Wallabies in 2012.

- AAP