Ben Mowen, Wallabies team captain, will be out of the line-up for Australia in the 2015 World Cup in a move that's seen as a big blow for the Australian Rugby Union.

The official announcement was set Thursday, but he already told the decision to coaches and officials as early as Monday. Mowen’s reason is very simple too: he wants to spend more time with his family; his wife, Lauren, and daughter, Eleanor.

"It's the hardest decision of my career and I flipped 100 different ways trying to figure out which way I was going to go," the 29-year-old national skipper told Fairfax Media, deciding to go public with his decision now to give the management and coaches more time to plan for the future.

"But being away for so long, it was a bridge too far. It's time to put my family first, that's the most important thing.

The NT captain was away from his family for more than half of 2013 because of the busy schedule of the Wallabies, which included matches at the Super Rugby, British and Lions series and the six-week tour of Europe.

It was a short and but remarkable Test career for Mowen.

He was the team captain for six Tests for Australia, winning the first of five Tests. Five matches were in the Grand Slam Tour of Europe.

“It’s a hard decision. It took months, but I’m comfortable where I’ve come to and I’m proud of the contribution I’ve made,” added Mowen in the same interview.

While he will be quitting the NT duties, Mowen is expected to continue playing rugby and is reportedly negotiating a contract with a French club.

In related news, Quade Cooper, David Pocock and James Horwill are among the names being considered to take over Mowen’s spot.