Wallaby winger Joe Roff will forsake the chance of a world record as he plays out his dream of tasting rugby life in Europe.

Roff will line up for his new club Biarritz on Saturday as they begin their Heieneken Cup campaign against Bath and his commitment to the French giants will prevent him from breaking All Black Sean Fitzpatrick's record for consecutive Test appearances.

Roff's run of 58 consecutive Tests for Australia, dating back to Italy in 1996, sees him second in the all-time list and the Wallabies five-match winter tour offered him the prospect of equalling the Fitzpatrick's record until a Canadian players' strike over the sacking of Australian coach Dave Clark forced the abandonment of a Test in Vancouver on October 27.

"I should be annoyed but, to be honest, it doesn't faze me," he told the Daily Mail. "Records are nice to have but there are not the most important things in life."

Assuming he plays in the four remaining matches against Spain, England, France and Wales, Roff will finish the year on 62 and that, in terms of consecutive matches, will be that.

"I will not be playing in any Tests next year," he said. "The season here doesn't finish until June. I will no longer be a contracted Australian player and I can't see them picking anyone for the Tri-Nations who is not in the Super Twelve. Just to play on to beat records is a pretty poor motivation factor."

Roff chose Biarritz ahead of other countries including England and has no plans of retiring from international rugby.

"I have four or five years in me and it will be a matter of assessing what I want to get out of those years," he added.