Wallabies centurion Michael Hooper has floated the prospect of retirement and conceded this year is likely to be his last at the Waratahs but is keeping all options open for 2024 and beyond.
Intrigue surrounds Hooper’s next career move as the 124-Test veteran weighs up whether to continue playing or throw himself into life after rugby.
As RA announces a raft of re-signings, don’t expect to see Hooper’s name on that list any time soon.
In 2018, Hooper signed a five-year extension with RA that expires after this year’s World Cup in France.
It has been widely expected that Hooper won’t feature for NSW in Super Rugby Pacific next season and despite leaving the door open, the champion No.7 admitted his time in a sky blue jersey was probably coming to an end. He has also turned down overseas offers for the time being.
“They [Waratahs fans] are probably right [to think this is the last year],” Hooper told reporters ahead of the Waratahs’ clash with the Western Force on Saturday at Allianz Stadium.
Michael Hooper at Wallabies training last year. Credit: Andrew Phan/Wallabies Media
“There’s a bit of ambiguity in the air [and] ambiguity in my mind. I’ve not got anything lined up for next year. I’ve been in a contract for a long time … since the end of 2009. Aside from that [stint in Japan in 2021], it’s all been in Australia.
“I don’t know what the next thing is going to look like. It’s a nice position to be in. That might be playing, that might not be playing, that might be having time off. I’m a completely open book. Or I’ll just hang them up.”
The Waratahs say they won’t rush Hooper into making a decision.
As reported by the Herald last year, Hooper is open to the idea of switching to rugby sevens and possibly representing Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Hooper will be 32 at next year’s Olympics and for the 2025 British and Irish Lions series. Whether he has enough petrol in the tank to play for another two years remains to be seen.
“You’ve got to be prepared that it might not work out, so I’m prepared that something might not pop up,” Hooper said. “There are some good things on next year, not only here … so I’m keeping my keep my mind open.
“There’s an Olympics. There’s rugby league. Nah, I’m joking … I couldn’t do that.”
While helping resurrect the Waratahs’ wobbly season is Hooper’s primary objective this weekend, he can’t help but cast his mind to the Rugby World Cup, which begins for Australia in Paris on September 9 with a match against Georgia.
Australia made the final in 2015 and bombed out in the quarter-finals of the 2019 tournament.
Michael Hooper with the Ella-Mobbs Trophy ahead of last year’s England series. Credit: Phil Hillyard
Ahead of Australia’s first camp next week under new coach Eddie Jones, Hooper isn’t sure whether results at the World Cup will have a bearing on his playing future.
“I’ll never know until I get there,” Hooper said. “I could go ‘how good’s this, let’s keep going’. Ride the ride while you’re doing well.
“It’ll come around before we know it. So in terms of getting guys aligned, it’s pretty straightforward. There’s a World Cup on the line and you may only get one of those in your career. So the time is now.”
With the Waratahs sitting second last on the ladder, with one win from six starts, Hooper needs to deliver more than ever.
He knows it too, saying his own form hasn’t been where he wants it to be.
“In a romantic sense, [hopefully] I can play my best game of rugby on the 28th of October come the World Cup final. That’s where you want to be,” Hooper said.
“I don’t think I’m playing my best rugby. I think I’ve still got a lot more to give to this team and what I’m capable of. I’m chasing that. It’s not through a lack of effort, I’ve just got to find where I fit and really contribute to this team well.
“I’m having some good patches and some not so good involvements.
“I just want to be more efficient. I think I can be more dominant in the tackle area. That’s in the tackle and also in the breakdown. Also, how I can get involved in attack more. I don’t think any player would be satisfied with their game.
“We’ve given ourselves no opportunities for off games now. We’re still very much in it. We looked at the table and it doesn’t look great. If we beat the teams ahead of us, we can start moving. We’ve got no mulligans.”
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