Australia men’s rugby sevens captain and three-time Olympian Nick Malouf has announced his retirement following the Paris Games. The 31-year-old announced his decision in a statement from Rugby Australia on Saturday.
Over his career, Malouf participated in 61 world series tournaments, scoring 82 tries that resulted in 410 points. Originally a flanker at the University of Queensland, he joined the Australian sevens program in 2012 and made his debut in the Dubai World Series tournament. He remained a key team member for the next three years, navigating through a serious knee injury in 2015.
Malouf represented Australia at his first Olympics in 2016, where the team reached the quarterfinals in Rio. He spent the following season with the Leicester Tigers in England but returned to the sevens program to captain the Australian squad in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where they again reached the quarterfinals.
This year, during his third Olympic appearance in Paris, Malouf led Australia to the semifinals for the first time, but the team lost to two-time defending champions Fiji, who later fell to France in the gold medal match.
Reflecting on his career, Malouf expressed his gratitude, stating, “I could never have believed I’d be so lucky to enjoy the last 12 years playing the game I love in the company of such great people. Rugby has given me so much and I am so thankful. What a privilege it’s been.”
John Manenti, Australia sevens coach, praised Malouf as an “amazing leader,” highlighting his contributions to the team and his status as the most successful Australian men’s sevens captain in terms of World Series wins and Olympic performances. He added, “But most of all he’s a great man and we wish him every success in the business world.”