Left out of Eddie Jones’ World Cup campaign in France, Michael Hooper is poised to get the Paris send-off he craves.
The Wallabies great is on the cusp of signing a new deal with Rugby Australia, which will see him sign a deal to join the national sevens program ahead of next year’s Olympics in Paris.
A source close to the situation told The Roar that the deal was all agreed, with the paperwork to be done.
Michael Hooper is set to sign a new deal with Rugby Australia ahead of next year’s Olympics. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
The 31-year-old has long expressed a desire to play at the Olympics.
Except, the Wallabies’ most-capped captain thought and hoped it would be after playing at this month’s World Cup.
Named alongside James Slipper as Wallabies co-captain ahead of The Rugby Championship, a calf injury saw him scratched ahead of their second match of the year against Argentina.
But despite being a chance to recover in time for their World Cup opener against Georgia on September 9, Eddie Jones opted to leave the openside flanker out.
Hooper is said to be keeping himself in shape if Jones comes knocking, but it seems apparent that the Wallabies coach has had a drastic strategic shift in selection philosophy after also leaving out experienced playmakers Quade Cooper and Bernard Foley too.
Wallabies head coach Eddie Jones announced James Slipper (L) and Michael Hooper (R) as co-captains at Sanctuary Cove on June 25 but quickly moved away from the concept. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
While Hooper has packed plenty in his career already, the long-time Wallabies captain could still play on for years to come if he has the desire.
All year the flanker, who signed a huge five-year, $1million-a-year deal ahead of the 2019 season, has kept his options open.
Not knowing what he would want to do following the World Cup, the 2014 Super Rugby winner and three times John Eales Medallist, who claimed his eighth Matthew Burke Cup in August, knocked back several offers from overseas earlier this year to keep his options open.
All the while he has kept open the possibility of wanting to push for Olympics selection.
“There’s an Olympics,” Hooper said in late May, before cheekily adding, “there’s rugby league. I’m joking. I’m an open book.
“I have not got anything lined up for next year. I have been in a contract for a lot of time it seems like.
“Since the end of 2009, I’ve been signed in Australia with that quick dip off to Japan there but aside from that, it’s all been in Australia.
“I don’t know where the next thing is going to look like. It’s a nice position to be in to be open to all aspects. That’s playing or maybe not playing, having time off, whatever. I’m a completely open book or start the next chapter.
“I’m actually really excited by the fact that I don’t know what I am going to do.
“I’m an open book, whether that’s 15s, whatever, or I’ll just hang it up.”
Former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper is moving closer to a new deal with the Rugby Australia Sevens program.(Photo by Getty Images)
One person who has always welcomed Hooper’s flutter in wanting to play at the Olympics is Australia’s men’s sevens coach John Manenti.
“He’s got all the skill sets, he’s got the experience, obviously he hasn’t played for a long time, but if he’s prepared to put himself up for selection through some lead-in tournaments, he’d be of great interest to us,” Manenti told The Roar in late May.
Asked what players like Hooper can provide, Manenti said their value extended beyond the tournament play.
“The lessons aren’t just in the event, the lessons are ongoing and the value has lasting effects,” he said.
Hooper’s massive engine, quality at the breakdown, strong skill set and work rate, as well as his experience at what it takes to play at the top, is something that the sevens program would benefit from hugely.
Nor is he the only Wallaby the sevens program is looking at, with wingers Mark Nawaqanitawase and Australia A flyer Corey Toole also being looked at closely.
Junior Wallabies star Darby Lancaster, who recently signed with the Melbourne Rebels, is another outside back the sevens program hopes they could call upon.
Despite finishing fifth in this year’s World Series, the Junior Wallabies automatically qualified for next year’s Olympics after host nation France finished in the top four.
French captain Antoine Dupont, who is carrying the hopes of a nation into this year’s World Cup, is expected to make himself available for the tournament.
Should he do so, he will become the latest XV’s star to play at the Olympics, following in the footsteps of Sonny Bill Williams, Semi Radradra and Cheslin Colbe.
Quade Cooper and Nick Cummins attempted to feature in the 2016 campaign, but missed selection.
El Flash
Roar Rookie
Quite possibly true Wallabies124. However, there is a massive difference between playing for the Wallabies & playing international 7's. You get a rest in the 15 man game whereas you are on the go for 7.5 minutes with almost no breaks per half in 7's. You and your 6 mates have to cover the entire width of the ground during this time against some of the fastest most elusive players on the planet. I cannot see Hoops coping with that.
East Coast Aces
Roar Rookie
But Jones' performance did the job. No one has asked him the question again or even written about it. But considering he jumped straight on the plane I doubt any journos who have gone over there will want to risk missing any access by bringing it up again. Our rugby journos are as P!55 weak as our political journos
Todd
Roar Rookie
The ghost of big cup past
Fin
Roar Rookie
Yeah that’s what I thought I heard from that presser. Not really good enough for a bloke who has led his nation as many times as Hoops has.
Jetka
Roar Rookie
Great servant of the game, but 7s is closer to touch football than 15s. Hopefully not, but I think there might be a few hamstring and calf issues on the horizon.
Cec
Roar Rookie
DBX now that was funny
Cec
Roar Rookie
If Ed really wants to back youth then Len is top of the food chain for the next generation at just 24yr. RWC27 he’d be hitting his prime. Jordan only tackles at 59% in SRP and the 13 is the toughest spot to defend. Lenny is the one WB that can play at any top 4 team. Yeah, wow :shocked:
Muglair
Roar Rookie
He is signed to stand for selection and go through the process. As Manenti said, you have to take a serious look.
Christy Doran
Editor
Like most, his exclusion is hard to understand. I do think he's a big fan of Jordan Petaia, but I'm surprised Ikitau is not in France. I believe he's fit.
East Coast Aces
Roar Rookie
it's handled poorly when everyone finds out your not picked before you do despite being one of he most capped players in the world. One journo asked Jones if it was true Hooper had to call the team manager to find out if he was on the plane to France or not. Jones ranted about journos being negative and the problem with Aus rugby instead of answer it
East Coast Aces
Roar Rookie
Are you sure about that? Jones was asked point blank about Hooper having to call the team manager to find out if he was on the plane to France or not and rather then Jones answer it properly he went on a rant blaming journos for asking questions.
East Coast Aces
Roar Rookie
Not selecting Hooper for the RWC was one of the few controversial selection decisions of Eddie's I agree with. His form over the last couple of years has not warranted it. Mcreight is a far better like for like selection these days. However if we decided for a bigger 7 for certain games Pete Samu should have been there instead of Kemeny. It was a mistake by RA signing Hooper on such a massive long term contract. We should have learned from Folau not to sign contracts longer then 3 years as anything can happen. Hooper's body is finally falling apart after being almost super human with the amount of games and game time he played uninjured in his career. 7s will require him to completely reshape his body. K Hunt has talked about what all that did to him when he went to AFL. He became injury prone and took years in Rugby before he got his body right. I just don't know if Hoopers body can handle that volume and intensity. I also worry he's lost too much fast Twitch muscle fibre. However, it's definitely worth giving him the crack and I am looking forward to following it. I just hope we haven't paid to much for his contract, I know the men's team recently had their contracts slashed. If he's on more then a couple hundred k we've paid too much.
Cec
Roar Rookie
Thanks Christy. Hoops would offer 7s plenty if they are looking for a breakdown presences like a Kawagga Smith. On another note regarding other omitted WB, I hear Lenny is ready to play now. Can you confirm this Christy? Ikitau is one of only two world class players we have and Eddie left him out! I’m surprised not more has been made of this omission considering the WB are carrying injured backs who have yet to prove themselves at SRP yet alone Test Level like Lenny and are not certain to even play at the RWC. I’m just hoping we don’t lose guys like Lenny O/S because of Eddie’s poor selections and idiosyncrasies as that just weakens our depth.
Todd
Roar Rookie
Is he good enough? Short answer starts with N and ends in O
Todd
Roar Rookie
Good on him giving it a crack, he can do what he likes. In saying that I'd be very surprised if he gets selected. I just don't believe Hooper has the pace and/or explosiveness for 7s.
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
Jones had a call with Hooper, of which the finer points will probably remain between them but what else does Hooper require?
W Evans
Roar Rookie
Sorry, he wasn’t in the top 2 or 3 open side flankers in Australia this year. McReight was certainly better. And I’ve got to ask, why is Michael Hooper at 31 accepting a place in the Olympic Sevens programme that could go to a 21yo who has been aiming up and training hard to get the opportunity? Fairly sure that serious calf injuries aren’t exactly conducive to Sevens Rugby either.
HAMMERTIME
Roar Rookie
I understand that but perhaps a "thank you for your service " and an honest explanation might have been better. Instead we ( and Hooper himself apparently) were left to guess or attempt to read between the lines.
K.F.T.D.
Roar Rookie
Who Ray, not paying attention?
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
Hard to take comments like this seriously