A new Hopoate makes his mark in both rugby codes
ST Augustine’s College schoolboy Albert Hopoate has reinforced his reputation as one of Australian hottest young talents in the two rugby codes.
Manly
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ST Augustine’s College schoolboy Albert Hopoate has reinforced his reputation as one of Australian hottest young talents in the two rugby codes.
Earlier this year the son of former NRL son John Hopoate was one of five rising Sea Eagles players in the NSW Under 16 State of Origin team.
The 16-year-old was also on the wing for the Australian Schoolboys rugby team that played New Zealand, in the NSW side who won the National Youth Rugby Sevens competition and on the weekend played for the Australian side that competed in the World Schools Sevens Rugby Sevens in Auckland.
He and his St Augustine’s team mate Daniel Ala were both standouts in the young Aussie side that finished third.
“Albert was fantastic, he was devastating,” said Australian coach Expo Mejia.
“He is a really strong runner of the ball and is deceptively quick for a big guy.
“You don’t think he is running that fast but he scored a number of runaway tries and is a good defender.”
St Augustine’s first XV coach and renowned judge of schoolboy rugby talent John Papahatzis said he rates Hopoate as good a player as former Wallaby star Joe Roff at the same age.
“I rate him very highly,” Papahatzis said.
“In any code he is a superstar, that is the thing about him.”
Papahatzis has told Hopoate by the time he is 18 he could either be on the men’s sevens circuit for Australia leading to the Olympics or have a contract somewhere else. Hopoate is now a frontrunner to be selected in the Australian side for the Junior Olympics next October in Buenos Aires.
Fellow fellow St Augustine’s players Ala, Max Lehmann, Jack Walsh and Henry Whelan, who were in the NSW outfit that won the National Youth Rugby Sevens, are also strong contenders to be picked.
The Oceania qualifiers will take place in Sydney in April and they will take part in a camp in January.
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