Rugby Championship: Wallabies veteran Quade Cooper vows to fight back from serious achilles injury

At 34, the last thing Quade Cooper needed was a serious achilles injury, but he won’t let it be the end of him.

Wallabies veteran Quade Cooper has declared his career isn’t over. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Quade Cooper’s Wallabies teammates were among those to throw support his way after the veteran playmaker declared he was “prepared for the journey” of recovering from a serious achilles injury that could rule him out of next year’s World Cup.

Cooper, 34, hurt himself in the second half Australia‘s hard-fought 41-26 Rugby Championship win over Argentina in Mendoza on Sunday. The injury has cast doubt over his 2023 Rugby World Cup hopes and future in the sport.

Cooper was playing his first Test since guiding the Wallabies to five wins from his five appearances last year, having missed the home series against England.

But Cooper, who was one of coach Dave Rennie’s overseas-based players in his squad and firmly in World Cup plans, declared the injury was just another “obstacle on my path”.

“Ready and prepared for this journey,” he wrote on Instagram.

Just posted a photo @ Mendoza, Argentina https://t.co/W7LxIMRW6C

— Quade Cooper (@QuadeCooper) August 7, 2022

“Doesn‘t mean it will be easy but I know I’ve prepared myself for the challenge ahead by building systems and habits to guide me through each obstacle on my path.”

“Prepare for the storm so you are strong enough to endure it.

Quade Cooper’s ankle in a moon boot in Argentina. Picture: Daniel Jayo/Getty Images

Cooped joined a growing list of injured Wallabies, including Samu Kerevi (ACL), Angus Bell (toe), Andrew Kellaway (hamstring), Scott Sio (shoulder), Tom Banks (arm) and captain Michael Hooper, who flew home from Argentina before the game citing mental health reasons.

Either James O’Connor or Noah Lolesio, who called Cooper “dad” on the Instagram post, will likely take over at five-eighth for the remainder of the Rugby Championship.

The obstacles in the path becomes the path.. 🙏🏽❤️

— Quade Cooper (@QuadeCooper) August 6, 2022

The Wallabies play Argentina again this weekend before two matches against South Africa, who just defeated New Zealand, and then the struggling All Blacks.

Reece Hodge, who replaced Cooper midgame on Sunday, also looms as an option.

“We’ve had a reasonable run of injuries, haven’t we?” coach Dave Rennie said. “What we know with (Hodge) is he has strengths all over the place this week and what we needed was other guys to step up.

Originally published as Rugby Championship: Wallabies veteran Quade Cooper vows to fight back from serious achilles injury