Rugby-Australia squad for Rugby Championship

SYDNEY, July 23 (Reuters) - Australia coach Ewen McKenzie on Wednesday named the following squad for the Rugby Championship campaign, which opens with a test against New Zealand in Sydney on Aug. 16: Squad: Forwards - Wycliff Palu, Ben McCalman, Scott Higginbotham, Michael Hooper (captain), Matt Hodgson, Scott Fardy, James Horwill, Rob Simmons, Will Skelton, Sam Carter, Ben Alexander, Pek Cowan, Sekope Kepu, James Slipper, Scott Sio, James Hanson, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Nathan Charles. Backs - Israel Folau, Rob Horne, Henry Speight, Joe Tomane, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Pat McCabe, Tevita Kuridrani, Christian Leali'ifano, Matt Toomua, Kurtley Beale, Bernard Foley, Luke Burgess, Nic White, Nick Phipps. (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Patrick Johnston)