Australia men’s rugby sevens captain and three-time Olympian Nick Malouf has announced his retirement following the Paris Games.
The 31-year-old player participated in 61 world series tournaments, scoring 82 tries and accumulating 410 points throughout his career. Malouf made his retirement announcement in a Rugby Australia statement on Saturday.
Beginning his career as a flanker with the University of Queensland, Malouf joined the Australian sevens program in 2012, making his debut at the Dubai World Series tournament. He became a regular member of the team over the next three years, successfully overcoming a serious knee injury in 2015.
Malouf was selected for his first Olympic Games in 2016, where Australia reached the quarterfinals in Rio. He spent the following season with the Leicester Tigers in England before returning to the sevens program. In his second Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, he captained the Australian team, which also exited in the quarterfinals.
At his third Olympics in Paris, Malouf captained Australia to the semifinals for the first time but lost 31-7 against two-time defending champions Fiji, who ultimately lost to France in the gold medal final.
“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,” Malouf expressed. “Rugby has given me so much and I am so thankful. What a privilege it’s been.”
Australia sevens coach John Manenti praised Malouf as an “amazing leader,” noting his impact on the team. “For years he’s driven this group and is the most successful Australian men’s sevens captain in terms of World Series wins, tournament wins, and Olympic performances,” Manenti said. “But most of all he’s a great man and we wish him every success in the business world.”