Ockenden is the second successive hockey player to carry the Southern Cross after Mark Knowles in 2018 at the Gold Coast when Australia were the last to enter the stadium as host nation.

Grinham, the 2007 world champion, is the first squash player to be chosen to carry the flag and set to compete in her sixth Games.

The 45-year-old from Toowoomba won her first gold with sister Natalie at Melbourne 2006 and claimed mixed doubles gold at Glasgow 2014.

Overall, she has claimed a total of eight Commonwealth Games medals having also won two silver and four bronze. 

The 35-year-old Ockenden from Hobart was a member of Australia's hockey teams that have claimed three consecutive gold medals at Delhi 2010, Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018.

He has also won three Olympics - a silver at Tokyo 2020 and bronze at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 - and part of the Australian team that lifted the World Cup in 2010 and 2014. 

It is the second time Australia have had joint flag bearers, back in 1978 when cycling twins cycling twins Sal and Remo Sansonetti did so at Edmonton.

Ockenden and Grinham were announced in a Ceremony at the University of Birmingham Games Village attended by Australia’s Governor General David Hurley and 300 members of the team. 

"These decisions are not just based on how many Games they have been too, they have to be model athletes and both Eddie and Rachael certainly tick that box," team Chef de Mission Petria Thomas said.

"Although we don’t actually have team captains, they do become our unofficial team leaders so it is a great honour.

"And how thankful are we that we get the opportunity to have a male and a female to carry the flag together,”