‘Don’t do it’: Sonny Bill Williams’ advice to Michael Hooper before sevens switch

After 125 tests for the Wallabies – more than half of them as captain – Hooper has joined the Australian sevens team at the ripe old age of 32, and is targeting a place in the team for the Paris Olympics next year. French

Even more significance will be added to the competition when halfback Antoine Dupont, maybe the best player in the world, plays for the home country at the Games.

Many athletes have made the transition from 15s to sevens with success; nevertheless, the most of them have been backline players, such Wallabies center Samu Kerevi, who represented Australia in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Very few forwards have been able to adjust to the abbreviated game due to the intense cardiovascular demands of the sport. In addition, Hooper’s career consisted of just one sevens event, which he participated in as a youngster for the Manly Marlins.

Why did Hooper decide to join the sevens world when there were interest from overseas clubs? 

“There were offers throughout the year to go elsewhere and nothing sort of really pricked my ears up,” Hooper

stated. At that point, I genuinely believed there would be the chance to play a new game and, ultimately, compete in the Olympics.

Imagine representing Australia in the opening ceremony of the Olympics; that would be quite an accomplishment.

“I talk to the guys here, and they’re talking about winning gold. I can get along with that motivated group of guys pretty easily.”

Hooper hopes to make his Australian debut in the third round of the World Sevens Series in Perth in January. He has given himself six months to get fit and ready for sevens.