Nick Malouf, the captain of the Australian men’s rugby sevens team and a three-time Olympian, has announced his retirement following the Paris Games. The 31-year-old athlete, who has participated in 61 World Series tournaments and scored 82 tries, shared the news through a statement from Rugby Australia on Saturday.
Malouf began his career as a flanker with the University of Queensland before joining the Australian sevens program in 2012, debuting at the Dubai World Series tournament. He became a key member of the team over the next three years and successfully recovered from a serious knee injury in 2015.
He first represented Australia at the Olympics in 2016, where the team reached the quarterfinals in Rio. The following year, he had a stint with the Leicester Tigers in England before returning to the sevens squad, where he captained Australia in his second Olympics at Tokyo 2021, again reaching the quarterfinals.
In Paris, Malouf led Australia to the semifinals of the Olympics for the first time, although the team lost 31-7 to the two-time defending champions, Fiji, who ultimately lost to France in the gold medal match.
Reflecting on his career, Malouf expressed gratitude for the past 12 years, 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.”
Australia sevens coach John Manenti praised Malouf as an incredible leader, noting his success as the most accomplished Australian men’s sevens captain in World Series wins, tournament victories, and Olympic performances. Manenti also wished him success in his future business endeavors.