Wallabies great Michael Hooper opens up on his future after the Rugby World Cup
Wallabies legend Michael Hooper revealed he is unsure what the future holds for him, with several possibilities including an overseas stint and possibly the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
The great flank is set to play his last home game for his beloved Waratahs this weekend after being in the jersey since 2013 with the exception of a stint in Japan with Toyota Verblitz in 2021.
Uncertain over future
Hooper admits he is unsure what is going to happen in a few months never mind years from now when he was asked if he would be looking to stay in Wallabies gold until the 2025 British & Irish Lions series.
“Ahhh, oh, I don’t know,” he told AAP.
“You never say never. I’ve travelled a lot and been lucky enough to be able to do this for a long time.
“I have a young family. However that shapes up over the next little bit, and what that takes to get back in a gold jersey in that point in time, I don’t know. It depends.
Click Here: Portugal soccer tracksuit
“I don’t know what the next six months looks like, let alone the next three years.”
Sevens in Paris?
Hooper admits that sevens is on the cards whilst not ruling out a move overseas as he claims he is “open to it”.
“Sevens is on the landscape but there’s a lot of work and detail that needs to go into that,” he said.
“Those guys are incredibly fit. It’s a different beast to when I started and played a bit – not for Aussie sevens, but years and years ago.
“And now I’m a different player as well, so how that would even look there’s a lot of discussion that needs to be had.
“Is there overseas? Is there something else? I’m really open to it.”
Eyeing a strong finish
There is much to consider for the most-capped Wallabies captain, who took some time away from the game for mental health reasons last year, but for now, he is keeping his mind on his last home game and building momentum for the Waratahs heading into the play-offs.
“I’m trying to focus on the game. It’s a big game for us to try to regain some momentum going into the finals so I want to play well,” Hooper said.
“That’s my first focus and then after that final whistle blows… having the family there, and hopefully getting them onto the field to experience that with me would be cool.”