Prominent Wallaby and rugby sevens player, Michael Hooper, has confirmed his retirement from Australian Rugby.
The renowned 32-year-old player officially announced his retirement on Sunday, marking a close to his well-lauded decade-long career. Hooper, initially a stellar name in the Wallabies’ legacy, moved to sevens rugby aiming for an Olympic dream. He confirmed, however, that his search for Olympic glory has concluded.
Hooper stated his retirement and the end of his Olympic pursuit in a shared statement on social media, “My Olympic journey and my Australian Rugby career have now both reached their end,” he declared.
In his farewell message, Hooper wished the Australian Sevens team luck and thanked them for their valuable contributions. He also expressed gratitude to his friends and family for their unwavering support throughout his sports journey.
Hooper, who retires with the reputation of being one of the greatest players of his time, is also a four-time recipient of the John Eales Medal. His rugby legacy includes playing 125 games for the Wallabies since his 2012 debut and being nominated for World Player of the Year in 2015 and 2021.
The speedster achieved a milestone as the fastest and youngest player to play 100 Tests for Australia in 2021. He also etched his name in history as the youngest-ever Wallabies captain in 2014 at age 23, and then broke records again as the Wallabies captain with the most caps in 2023.
Hooper guided the NSW Waratahs to victory in the 2014 Super Rugby title and received one of eight Matt Burke Cups as the season’s top Waratah player. His final Test match for the Wallabies took place in South Africa in 2023, after which he transitioned to sevens rugby. He played his debut sevens match for Australia in Hong Kong and later partook in the Singapore event a month after.