Tom Hooper (rugby union)
| Born | 29 January 2001 Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 122 kg (269 lb; 19 st 3 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | St Stanislaus' College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative | Lachlan Hooper (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tom Hooper (born 29 January 2001) is an Australian professional rugby union player who plays as a flanker for Premiership Rugby club Exeter Chiefs and the Australia national team.[1][2]
Career
Hooper was named in the Brumbies squad for the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman and the following 2021 Super Rugby AU season.[3] He made his debut in round 1 of Super Rugby Trans-Tasman in the match against the Crusaders and played all 5 games, coming off the bench for all games.[4] In 2021 Hooper made 12 appearances including 2 starts in the finals series.[5]
In the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season Hooper started the season injured, making his season debut in Round 11, playing the remaining 7 games of the season including 2 games in the finals.
Hooper left the Brumbies at the end of the 2025 season to join the Premiership club Exeter Chiefs in England.[6]
In July 2026, Hooper was confirmed to be joining the Queensland Reds on a two-year in the Super Rugby beginning in the 2029 season.[7][8] The news of his signing was made amid his contract extension with Exeter, staying with the club through to the 2027–28 Premiership season.[9]
International career
In July 2023 Hooper was selected for the Wallabies, starting at number 6 against South Africa.[10] He earned another 2 caps against New Zealand, scoring a try in the second Bledisloe Cup test and leading the tackle count in both tests.[11]
In August 2023 Hooper was named in the Wallabies squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup and started in the back row for all four of the Wallabies pool matches.[12]
Hooper was a fringe player in 2024 under new coach Joe Schmidt, making only two appearances off the bench against Georgia in a mid-season test and South Africa in the Rugby Championship. He was selected in the greater squad for the Grand Slam Spring Tour, but only featured in the two matches for Australia XV/Australia A against Bristol and England A.[13][14]
After a superb 2025 Super Rugby campaign where he finished runner up in the Player of the Year Award,[15] Hooper again broke into the national first-team contention, gaining selection on the bench for the Wallabies opening test again Fiji. He would also feature prominently in the 2025 British and Irish Lions Tour, gaining selection on the bench in the first test and concluded with a player of the match performance in the Wallabies' victory in third and final test.[16]
Personal life
In 2024, Hooper was a guest on Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont-Spelling Bee.
References
- ↑ "Tom Hooper". Ultimate Rugby. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ↑ "Hooper re-signs with ACT Brumbies and Australian Rugby". wallabies.rugby. Rugby Australia. 19 June 2024.
- ↑ "Plus500 Brumbies Finalise 2020 Super Rugby Squad" (Press release). Brumbies. 6 January 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- ↑ "Fainga'a, Simone reach 50, as Kata returns for Plus500 Brumbies". Brumbies. 13 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ↑ "Tom HOOPER profile and stats". all.rugby. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
- ↑ Raisey, Josh (14 January 2025). "Exeter confirm signing of Wallaby Tom Hooper". RugbyPass. Archived from the original on 10 February 2026. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
- ↑ Williamson, Nathan (8 July 2026). "Tom Hooper to return to Australian Rugby, signs with Reds". Rugby.com.au. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
- ↑ Worthington, Sam (8 July 2026). "Queensland poach Wallabies star - but he won't play until 2029". Nine.com.au. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
- ↑ Pilnick, Brent (7 July 2026). "Hooper extends Exeter contract before Australia return". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
- ↑ "Late Super charge clinched Tom Hooper's Wallabies debut". The West Australian. 6 July 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
- ↑ Coetzee, Dylan (5 August 2023). "Australia player ratings: Tom Hooper shines again in tough Bledisloe II loss". PlanetRugby. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
- ↑ "Hooper's determination rewarded with spot in Rugby World Cup squad". Western Advocate. 11 August 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
- ↑ Baber, Andy (8 November 2024). "Report: Bristol Bears 10-10 Australia XV". Bristol Bears Rugby. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
- ↑ "England A overpower Australia A | Rugby Football Union". www.englandrugby.com. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
- ↑ "Ardie Savea crowned 2025 Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year". Super Rugby Pacific. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
- ↑ "Wallabies avoid whitewash after stunning Lions on wet and wild Sydney night in statement victory". The Roar. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
External links
- Tom Hooper at ItsRugby.fr (in French)
- Tom Hooper at All.Rugby
- Tom Hooper at RugbyDatabase.co.nz