RUGBY AUSTRALIA HAVE confirmed that Wallabies captain Michael Hooper will move to the Japanese Top League next year in a six-month release from his contract in Australia.
The stint in Japan will help Hooper to make up some of the pay cut he, along with all other Australian players, recently took due to the financial pressures caused by the Covid-19 crisis.
It means the Waratahs will be without the openside flanker for the first half of 2021 as he instead links up with Toyota Verblitz, where Steve Hansen is the director of rugby and who already have the ex-All Blacks captain Kieran Read and Japan’s Kazuki Himeno in their back row stocks.
99-times capped Wallaby Hooper will miss the bulk of the 2021 Super Rugby campaign but is expected to be back in Australia in plenty of time to feature for Dave Rennie’s national team.
Rugby Australia say that the “provision of a six-month release was a feature of the interim player pay deal agreed to between the Rugby Union Players Association (RUPA) and Rugby Australia in April of this year for a specified number of current players and followed the COVID-19 health and financial crisis.”
Hooper will now join big names like Read, Beauden Barrett, Ben Smith, Aaron Cruden, Franco Mostert, Alex Goode, George Kruis, Ryan Crotty, and Samu Kerevi in making the move to Japan’s ever-improving Top League.
Losing Hooper for next year will undoubtedly be a big blow for Rob Penney’s young Waratahs squad, but Rugby Australia indicated their happiness for the back row to make a short-term move.
“We’re incredibly supportive of Michael making this move in the first half of 2021,” said interim CEO Rob Clarke.
“It’s a prudent decision, especially for someone who has been a devoted servant to the domestic game here in Australia for over 10 years now.
“While he will head overseas for the first six months of next year, Michael has made it abundantly clear how committed he is to Australian Rugby until at least the Rugby World Cup in 2023.”
Hooper is somewhat of an anomaly in that he’s a world class 7 that’s basically never been injured for any notable length of time. Not even 29 and nearly a test centurion. Remarkable when you consider how brutal the game is physically these days.
Hopefully, someone will pick up the broadcast rights over here. The quality in the Top League has been “mixed” in recent years with some big name players on the downswing of their careers chasing a last big payday but there seems to be a real uptick in the quality of players & coaches heading there for next season, so it could make for interesting viewing.
@Del McG: yuuuuuuuppppaaaaa
Why, what is the point of playing in Japan. Its understandable in your mid 30s at the end of your career but in his prime why wouldn’t he move to England or France. Probably get the same money and will play a very competitive level of rugby, rather than just collect a pay check and play in a mickey mouse league
@s mc: you answered your own question there chief
@s mc: Big bucks, not as far from home, can basically stay match fit for a return to Super Rugby and the Wallabies when this passes. Will likely get a big contract in France for a couple of years when he calls it quits on his Wallaby career if he still wants to play at a high level.
@s mc: Even though he has had a break, in Japan he can earn the same money as he would in England and France, and its a lot easier on his body. Who wouldn’t take the easier money?
@Kingshu: I would rather look back on career and have won another meaningful tournament than protecting myself.
@s mc: It may beca longer career to look back on, by taking the Japan option
@s mc: Lad, it’s not that hard. He’s not retiring. He’ll be closer to 29 than 30 when this finishes. Consider it a gap year type arrangement. Still opportunities to win trophies but he’s filling the rugby career dead space with a bit of pick up ball that he gets paid really well for. He’ll do the 6 months, pocket a pay check and slot back in as a world class operator with 4-5 years at the top left in him when it’s done. It’s the smart decision for a guy who’s been playing elite back row rugby for 11 years already.
@s mc: yes