Waratahs’ Head Coach Daryl Gibson has chosen 24 year-old Michael Hooper to be the captain of the Waratahs for 2016.
He replaces Dave Dennis as he did when Dennis was injured against the Brumbies late in the 2014 season, before leading the Waratahs to victory in the Grand Final.
He is not new to the leadership role. As a 22-year-old Hooper also captained the Wallabies for virtually the whole of 2014 after Stephen Moore injured himself minutes after the start of the first test of the year against a visiting France team.
He has always done things well when young. He was the best player in the 2008 Aussie Schools tournament with a year to go at school. After missing 2009 school rugby with a shoulder reconstruction, he went to the Brumbies to learn from George Smith, but the great man was injured and he ended up starting with the Brumbies at 18 years-old in 2010.
He was the Wallabies’ Rookie of the Year in 2012 and when he came back to Sydney in 2013, aged 21, he won the Players Award at the Waratahs (and also in the following two years).
He became the youngest Wallaby captain since Ken Catchpole in 2014—and In the Rugby World Cup, aged 23, he became the youngest Wallaby to play 50 test matches when he ran on in the semi-final, against Argentina.
Now he takes on a mature role, and not as a replacement.
Gibson said Hooper’s natural leadership skills earned him the captaincy but praised Dennis:
Recent Exeter captain Dean Mumm will be another leadership resource on the field as will the experienced front rowers Benn Robinson and Tatafu Polota-Nau.
Hooper took it all in his stride in an on-field interview with the press this afternoon. He also praised Dennis who he knows doesn’t have a selfish bone in his body:
Hooper, who has been outstanding in shuttle drills since he appeared at Waratahs’ training recently, didn’t seem to have too many issues with the Tahs’ performance under fatigue regime, but he remarked:
When asked what his goals were as captain he said:
Waratahs’ fans will love hearing that from their new captain.
Photos by Lee Grant
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