Hooper doubtful on Wallabies future after World Cup

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FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union – International – Scotland v Australia – Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain – October 29, 2022 Australia’s Michael Hooper reacts Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough/File Photo

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Australia flanker Michael Hooper remains undecided on his playing future but doubts that it includes a Wallabies jersey beyond this year’s World Cup.

Hooper, who will play his last home match for the New South Wales Waratahs on Saturday, is open to another stint overseas after playing in Japan in 2021, or a pivot to rugby sevens to chase an Olympic medal at next year’s Paris Games.

However, the 124-test veteran was unenthused when asked about the prospect of remaining in Eddie Jones’s plans for the British and Irish Lions tour in 2025.

“Oh, I don’t know,” the 31-year-old told reporters on Tuesday.

“You never say never. I’ve travelled a lot and been lucky enough to be able to do this for a long time.

“I have a young family. However that shapes up over the next little bit, and what that takes to get back in a gold jersey in that point in time, I don’t know. It depends.

“I don’t know what the next six months looks like, let alone the next three years.”

Hooper left the Wallabies squad on the eve of a Rugby Championship test against Argentina last year for mental health reasons, with prop James Slipper taking the captaincy in his absence.

Hooper was named in Jones’s first Wallabies squad this year and is expected to feature at a third World Cup in France.

Beyond that, he is keeping his options open.

With rugby dominating his life for over a decade, Hooper said he had been “institutionalised” by the sport.

He said sevens was “on the landscape” but there was a lot of work needed to make the switch.

“Those guys are incredibly fit. It’s a different beast to when I started and played a bit – not for Aussie sevens, but years and years ago,” he added.

“And now I’m a different player as well, so how that would even look there’s a lot of discussion that needs to be had.

“Is there overseas? Is there something else? I’m really open to it.”

(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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