Former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper gets first Australian Sevens call-up in boost to Olympic dream
He’s a late starter to international Sevens rugby but former Wallabes captain Michael Hooper, unwanted by Eddie Jones for the 15-a-side World Cup, is all-in for a shot at the Paris Olympics.
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Former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper has finally been selected to make his international debut for the Australian Sevens team, boosting his dream of making the Paris Olympics.
A controversial omission from Eddie Jones’ squad for last year’s disastrous 15-a-side World Cup in France, Hooper has been selected for next weekend’s World Cup round in Hong Kong, the spiritual home of Sevens rugby.
“Everyone seems to have a story about Hong Kong Sevens,” Hooper said. “I’ve been told that it’s just a fantastic atmosphere and we’ve got a good history there so it seems like a really awesome place to make a debut.”
Hampered by an Achilles injury since announcing he was making a run at making the Australian team for Paris, Hooper has been patiently waiting for his chance and won’t have long to make an impression.
There are just three tournaments left before the team for Paris gets selected and Hong Kong is unrivalled as the biggest of them all.
If Hooper excels in the most prestigious tournament on the calendar, he will go a long way to booking his seat to Paris but he’s not making any bold promises.
“I’m not the fastest, not the fittest. So that doesn’t start well, does it?” he said.
“But I’ll give it an absolute shake.
“I’m going to find out, I’m going to learn as much as anyone when I actually hit the field and see what I can do on the park.”
At 32, Hooper is a late starter to international sevens and knows he has his work cut out adapting to the high-speed tempo of the abbreviated game.
But he has already impressed his new team mates and coaches with his hard-nosed approach to training.
“‘Hoops’ has worked hard to make his way into the squad, and we’re all delighted to welcome the ‘rookie’ into the mix,” head coach John Manenti said.
“Like any new player it will be a learning experience for him, and an important start point to a potential Paris Olympics.”
Capped 125 caps for the Wallabies, Hooper is just the latest 15-a-side star to be drawn by the lure of the Olympics.
Two-time World Cup winner Sonny Bill Williams played for New Zealand at Rio in 2016 while French national captain Antoine Dupont - World Rugby’s player of the year in 20121 - has also made the switch in the hope of competing at an Olympics on home soil.
In just his second tournament, Dupont helped France end a 19-year drought by winning the last World Cup leg in Los Angeles.
With Australia drawn to face Fiji and France in the pool stages in Hong Kong, Hooper said he wasn’t putting any pressure on himself to achieve any immediate success, but couldn’t wait to test himself against the very best.
“I’m ready to rip into those guys. I’m keen,” Hooper said. “It’s a hell of a way to start my campaign.
“I just hope to have a really good impact in this team and find what piece of the puzzle I am and how I can really contribute to these guys.
“That may be this round, that may be next round, (or) it may never come and I’m open to all those possibilities. That’s kind of the exciting thing of this challenge.
“To think that I’m a finished product after Hong Kong, I think I’d be probably applying too much pressure to myself unfairly.”
Veteran playmaker Maurice Longbottom, who missed the recent legs in North America with a calf injury, was cleared to return.
The Australian women’s sevens team - currently ranked No. 1 in the world - have made three changes to their squad for Hong Kong.
Bienne Terita and Heidi Dennis both return to Tim Walsh’s side while Bridget Clark will make her debut.
“The Olympic runaway is nearly upon us, and the squad is coming together providing some real depth, points of difference and some experienced and stable combinations,” Walsh said.
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AUSTRALIAN SEVENS SQUADS FOR HONG KONG
Women
Sharni Smalem Faith Nathan, Teagan Levi, Madison Ashby, Charlotte Caslick, Kaitlin Shave, Tia Hinds, Bella Nasser, Maddison Levi, Heidi Dennis, Bridget Clark, Bienne Terita, Sariah Paki
Men
Henry Hutchison, Ben Dowling, Henry Palmer, Dietrich Roache, Henry Paterson, Matt Gonzalez, Nick Malouf, Maurice Longbottom, Nathan Lawson, James Turner, Hayden Sargeant, Michael Hooper, Michael Icely
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