Raised in the Australian bush five hours inland from Sydney with no internet, Tom Hooper spent his childhood as far from Exeter as it’s possible to get. But the Wallabies back-rower still managed to begin his Chiefs love affair.
‘I grew up on a farm with no internet,’ Hooper, who has been a revelation in his first season in English club rugby, tells Daily Mail Sport. ‘I’d go toe-to-toe with my little brother on a video game called Rugby Challenge and we’d often use Exeter as one of the teams.
‘We’d play with Aussie sides too, but we were on it so often we had to mix it up. It meant I knew about the Chiefs from a very young age. It made me a big fan of the PREM. Henry Slade was in the Exeter team I was playing with on the game, the old b*****d! It was good to put a face to the name when I signed here and met him for the first time!’
‘When I went on to play for the Brumbies, Nic White was there and had just come back to Australia having won the double with Exeter. I talked to him about his experiences living in England. He spoke so fondly about the culture at Exeter that it was always a club I wanted to play for.
‘I was fortunate they came knocking. Going from sitting on a farm in the Aussie bush playing computer games as Exeter to pulling on the Chiefs jersey was a full circle moment.’
Hooper has settled into life at Sandy Park impressively both on and off the field, having first burst into the consciousness of northern hemisphere fans with a man-of-the-match display for Australia in their third Test victory over the British & Irish Lions last summer.
Tom Hooper has hit the ground running this season in his debut campaign with the Exeter Chiefs
Hooper has become a fan favourite as the Chiefs resurrect their fortunes from last season’s disappointing ninth-place PREM finish
‘I’ve found the English sense of humour to be very like the Australian,’ says Hooper, 25. ‘We both like giving each other s*** and having a good laugh! All Australians love cricket, so I’ve been giving plenty of chat about the Ashes result. Anytime anyone catches a ball in training, I tell them they’re doing a better job than the England cricket team!’
Hooper is now more than 10,000 miles from home. He was a late arrival to his first season in England alongside another Wallabies star in Len Ikitau due to Rugby Championship commitments on the back of the Lions series. Centre Ikitau, unfortunately, has spent months on the sidelines due to a shoulder injury.
Rob Baxter’s side have responded from a season of humiliation last term in fine fashion. Having finished a disappointing ninth last year, the Chiefs are fourth this time around and with a cushion to Bristol in the race to seal a play-off place. They host PREM leaders Northampton on Saturday and have set up a European Challenge Cup semi-final with Ulster too.
And Hooper, an imposing figure at 6ft 6in whose only setback has been a knee niggle that sidelined him during the Six Nations period, has hit the ground running as a vital cog in the Exeter wheel.
‘I’m the sort of bloke who can get along with anyone,’ he says. ‘I could talk to a brick wall! No matter what the boys here are doing, I find myself tagging along. In my first few weeks, I ate my way around Devon trying every scone in the local area. I’ve been to Dartmoor and Exmouth too. The only problem I’ve had is I haven’t been able to find a surfboard big enough for me!’
Next, I hit Hooper with his toughest but most important question yet. ‘The Aussie verdict on scones is jam first,’ he responded. ‘But at home we have very soft, spreadable cream. It’s probably an even split but having lived here now, I think cream first is the way to go!’
Correct answer!
As a professional athlete, Hooper has to take it easy on the scones. But with the weather warming up, he does enjoy a glass of red and a barbecue with his team-mates.
‘I’m the sort of bloke who can get along with anyone. I could talk to a brick wall!’
Hooper gets to grips with Henry Pollock in an England A v Australia A clash in November 2024
The loose forward has won 22 caps for his country, and is pushing to be a star at next year’s World Cup on home soil
Exeter have a long history of successful Australian signings, and Hooper is looking to make the same kind of impact as White, Dave Dennis, Dean Mumm and Greg Holmes. As well as Ikitau, he is joined in the Chiefs squad by compatriots Scott Sio and Julian Heaven, and is living with Heaven in Devon.
Hooper’s hard work, no-nonsense attitude and straight talking have already made him a firm favourite with Exeter supporters. The club’s resurgence this season can’t be put down to him alone but his tireless displays on the flank have been a vital part of it.
‘I’m not a flashy player. I don’t score 100-metre tries,’ says Hooper. ‘But if I can show up for the team and give them some front-foot ball, I’m happy.
‘It was definitely a hard decision to leave my family, I miss them immensely, but ultimately I’d hit my ceiling in Australia and it was time for me to keep pushing to improve my rugby. I feel my improvement has really accelerated here, so it’s proved to be a good decision. I’ve grown as a rugby player, but also as a person. I’ve had to push myself out of my comfort zone which I think is really good for anyone in any walk of life. I feel I’ve reaped the rewards of that.
‘The guy in Australia I always modelled my game on was Scott Fardy (who won 39 caps for the Wallabies and also played for Leinster and the Brumbies). I was very fortunate to have him mentor me a few years back. He told me about the “70 per cent rule”.
‘You can’t run around as a back row like a headless chicken. He said he always aimed to operate consistently at 70 per cent, like a Toyota Land Cruiser in fourth gear – just ticking along and doing all the work. That way, the other flashier boys can work around you.
‘I feel Exeter is a place where I can really grow. If that continues to be the case, then I will definitely resign. I’d be stupid not to. I wasn’t here to witness last season, but it’s definitely been a massive turnaround.’
Hooper’s hard work, no-nonsense attitude and straight talking have already gone down a treat with Exeter supporters
Hooper is following in the footsteps of the likes of Nic White, the Wallaby scrum-half who spent three years with Exeter and has won 77 caps for his country
Exeter hoped that Len Ikitau would also add his own brand of Aussie flair this season but injury has stopped him making an impact
There is a feel-good factor at Exeter. Results have improved significantly, experienced boss Baxter has inked a new deal to stay and the club is poised for significant fresh financial investment from an American consortium.
Baxter says of Hooper: ‘I can’t speak highly enough about him. He’s a great character around the place, a real energy giver and is very enthusiastic about what’s happening here. I think he can see the possibilities of longer-term success.
‘His knee injury meant he’s almost had a full mini pre-season and our expectations are he will go from strength to strength through the rest of the campaign.
‘Some people think the success we’ve had with Australian players is because they like a beer, a barbecue and going to the beach. It’s not that. They’re good guys and understand how fortunate they are to be professional rugby players.
‘That’s a key strength of Australian lads. They appreciate the opportunity they have and because of that, they’re extremely professional. They get the balance between working hard and knowing when to relax right.’
Hooper might have been forgiven for thinking he’d made the wrong decision when signing for Exeter during their troubles last season. But having helped turn around his club side, he also has a focus on doing likewise with Australia.
The Wallabies couldn’t beat the Lions, losing their series 2-1, and will have to improve markedly to challenge for the 2027 World Cup as hosts.
A stunning comeback win over the Springboks at Ellis Park in Johannesburg last August was followed by an autumn slump where they lost all four games of their European tour, against England, Italy, Ireland and France.
There is a feel-good factor at Exeter. Results have improved significantly, boss Rob Baxter has inked a new deal and the club is poised for significant investment from a US consortium
Having helped turn around his club side, Hooper also has a focus on doing likewise with Australia ahead of a home World Cup next year
‘It’s a cliché to say we’re a growing team but we genuinely are,’ says Hooper. ‘We had some great performances against the Lions, South Africa and Argentina but we couldn’t string consistent displays together.
‘Last autumn was disappointing. The age profile of our team is exciting. It’s a bit like Exeter.
‘We’ve got some very good players who can come back from overseas and some good young talent coming through. From there, we can get a solid season together going into a home World Cup.
‘There’s a massive buzz about that. I think we’ll be in a good spot come 2027.’
