Australian Rugby / RA

[stoff]

Personally I think rugby needs to get into the public schools...

If only there was a program just like that ready to go. https://www.academymovement.education/

 

[Wilson]

Hooper has officially retired from international rugby:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1807343872235946244

Not going to the Olympics

 

[LeCheese]

Man, it's very unfortunate he never got a proper sendoff. Absolute (and under appreciated at times) servant of the game.

 

[Sully]

https://www.instagram.com/p/C81ZXacSFwv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

[pnut]

Just me or timing poor ahead of team announcement.

 

[Sword of Justice]

Kind of weird how his career ended. A madman didn't select him but you have to think that at 32 if he went back to a Super team he probably would be selected at least for squads in the future. Hopefully he's moving on to absolutely cash in or follow other passions because he's earnt it.

 

[John S]

Just you. I reckon its good so that it doesn't take away from the team announcement next week

 

[pnut]

Fair enough. Just a thought.

 

[Adam84]

poor timing? No...

Clearly, he either has an injury or wasn't selected and was allowed the opportunity to announce his retirement as he sees fit rather than a media frenzy once the 7s squad is finally announced. It's a positive thing for him and the team, I think, to do it this way.

 

[pnut]

Initial thought it detracted from the team announcement however good point u raise

 

[fatprop]

It is quite amazing, the guy was indestructible for years and then the last few years it all caught up on him

i hope he has a glorious retirement and and finds passions outside rugby

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

HC/SS being played on Saturdays (the day most Super is played) is easily the biggest hindrance to players playing in those comps more. Add in travel and in makes it even more difficult. Players like Kalani Thomas just not getting enough game time (NPC was great for him last year).

 

[Adam84]

Not sure the SS/QPR on a Saturday is the biggest hindrance, maybe a minor one.

Even if Super Rugby were played on a Sunday, the Super Rugby season only overlapped with the QPR/SS for 8 rounds. In the Reds case they played 4 of those rounds on a Friday night, 2 of which were home games. Of the remaining games that weren’t played on a Friday night, only 2 were home games.

So statistically speaking, shifting SS/QPR games to a Sunday might allow some of the reserve/bench Super Rugby players to backup from the Super Rugby game the night before and play an extra 2 games a year based on 2024 season draw.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Just going to bounce back to Hoopers retirement. Rugbypass are reporting that he may be linking up with Hoiles in MLR. The article says LA and the Giltinis but that's probably more to do with the writers ignorance of the competition. Stephen Brett who has been coaching LA this season is apparently leaving. So it may have legs.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

Hooper is involved in Hoiles business Recoverie and they are opening in Hermosa Beach so it might have legs.