Will Hopoate’s strength in his beliefs and faith should be applauded

GOD often gets a mention in sport, usually after a victory. But Will Hopoate’s strength in his beliefs are a rare thing in the modern game. Live blog with PAUL KENT at 1pm.

Daily Telegraph Sport Columnist Paul Kent

FOR once, God gets a mention in the sporting arena without contributing to the victory.

He is funny like that, God. Often thanked for granting victory, never seen in defeat. It is as though the religious texts have got it all wrong and God only helps the winners.

In news out over the weekend, though, Will Hopoate distinguished himself as a rare man and, while God retains a starring role, it is not in the expected sense.

The Sunday Telegraph revealed that Hopoate told his teammates he will no longer play on Sundays. His Mormon faith declares Sundays a day of rest and prayer and it is more important to him to rest and pray than play.

Hopoate’s faith can never be questioned. His beliefs and his strength in them should be applauded.

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He told Canterbury coach Des Hasler during negotiations that he would not be available Sundays and Hasler agreed, the club deciding to wait until Hopoate was better settled at the club before telling his teammates, and now the news has been delivered we all view him with an extra dollop of admiration.

There was a time when some athletes were great moral leaders among us.

Most famously of all Muhammad Ali refused to go to war as a Muslim minister so was stripped of the heavyweight title.

The other most famous one, Eric Liddell, went to the 1924 Olympics as a strong chance in the 100m until he learned the heats were on a Sunday.

Like Hopoate, that would not work with his strong Christian faith so Liddell withdrew. He wasn’t running on a Sunday.

Instead he ran the 400m and won gold there and such was the strength of the story they made it a movie, Chariots Of Fire, which won an Academy Award.

Muhammad Ali’s beliefs cost him a world title.

Before Ali Hall of Fame baseballer Sandy Koufax refused to pitch game one of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur. Koufax’s reputation, already five-star, grew even more among the Jewish communities.

It does not always turn out so well.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos were banished from the 1968 Olympics for their Black Power salutes. Strong statements that came in politically charged times. Now they build statues for them.

But in it all Liddell was potentially harming only himself, as were Smith and Carlos. Ali, too. Koufax had six more games in the series.

Koufax pitched game two of the series and lost to see the Dodgers trail 2-0 but came back to pitch game seven, the series square, and pitched the Dodgers to a famous victory.

British sprinter Eric Liddell refused ro race on a Sunday.

There are few second chances in this game, though. Hopoate will miss the two games before Laurie Daley picks his NSW team for Origin one.

He is drifting odds to be selected, and as much as his absence harms his chances for a late push it will also harm his club.

If Hopoate is not picked, he won’t be available for the Dogs the previous Sunday against Canberra, either. Without Dave Klemmer, Josh Morris and possibly Josh Reynolds, with Brett Morris still injured, Hopoate will be sitting in the stands.

Later in the season the draw helps. The qualifying finals in the first week have just one game on a Sunday, giving him a 75 per cent chance to play.

The following week is where luck falls his way.

Hopoate has put his deeply held beliefs ahead of rugby league.

In previous seasons the semi-finals (week two) and preliminary finals (week three) have played out over Saturday and Sunday, skinny odds for anybody trying to make it into a game which does not fall on Sunday.

This season the NRL wisely moved the two games to Fridays and Saturdays, giving each team an extra day’s rest before the grand final and, luckily, benefiting Hopoate.

But the grand final remains on a Sunday and always will.

What happens then will surely test somebody’s faith.

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Originally published as Will Hopoate’s strength in his beliefs and faith should be applauded