Australia’s Hooper open to extending Exeter stay

Australia flanker Tom Hooper says he would extend his time at Exeter if he continues to grow as a player.

The 25-year-old agreed a move to Sandy Park on a two-year deal last year, having been a key part of the Wallabies side in the Rugby Championship and featuring against the British & Irish Lions.

Hooper impressed in the Prem win over Sale on Saturday as he returned from a two-month lay-off following a knee injury.

“I’m loving my rugby here,” Hooper said. “I didn’t just come over here for one reason, I came over here because a few of the stars really aligned for me.

“It was that time where I’d kind of hit my ceiling in Australia, I needed a new challenge.

“But if I’m over here and I still feel like I’m being challenged as an athlete and as a person and I’m still growing in those areas, then this is the best place for me.

With a home World Cup coming up for Australia later in 2026, Hooper knows he must perform well in Europe if he is to make the Wallabies squad.

While Australia are happy to pick overseas players, they will give priority to home-based options if there is little to choose between the options.

Hooper says the improvements he is making in Europe and his ambitions to make the World Cup are driving him in his first season in the northern hemisphere.

“When I came over here I knew full well there was a possibility I wasn’t going to be playing for the Wallabies any more,” he said.

“But my manager and I sat down face to face and I said ‘do you back me?’ He said ‘yes’, and then I said ‘awesome, I’ll back myself’.

“I had a phone call with Joe Schmidt [Australia head coach] and basically he said ‘I’m going to favour picking guys from home soil, but if you’re the clear standout then I’ll pick you’.

“On that phone call, I just said ‘all right, well, it’s a pretty clear objective for me, I’m just going to make sure that I make you pick me’.

“So it was a gamble, but also all the power kind of lies in my court and I’m just going to make sure if I keep playing good rugby then I’ll keep getting picked for the teams that I want to be picked [for].

“That’s obviously Exeter Chiefs first and foremost, that’s where my priority is right now, performing for this team, and off the back of that I know I’ll get picked for the gold jersey.

Saturday’s victory over Sale pushed Exeter back into the Prem play-off places.

It marks a huge turnaround for the Chiefs, who finished second-from-bottom last season, with Friday night’s opponents Newcastle the only side below them.

Hooper says Exeter’s travails last season – when they won just four matches in the league – have stood them in good stead for the current campaign as he targets a play-off tie in June.

“I think we’ve got the squad depth to do it, we’ve got the experience to do it,” he told BBC Sport.

“When I say experience I’m not just talking about the dinosaurs of Jack Yeandle, Henry Slade and Scotty Sio, I’m talking about the experience of last year and the boys that went through that tough period.