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Michael Hooper holding out from new Wallabies contract
Wallabies star captain Michael Hooper is holding off re-committing to Rugby Australia as he works through the details of a new contract.
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RA is looking to secure Hooper long-term, upwards of a five-year term in order to keep the 26-year-old openside flanker in Australia until the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
With fellow openside David Pocock returning this year from a sabbatical which enabled him to study overseas and then play in Japan and earn over a cool million dollars in one off-season, Hooper could be looking for similar flexibility.
“I’d be a fool not to give it a bit of thought. It’s what you do,” Hooper said.
“It’s like anybody’s job. You’ve got to give a bit of thought to it to get the right outcome.”
With 65 international caps under his belt, Hooper already qualifies for the Wallabies ‘Giteau rule’, which could see him continue an international career while playing offshore. However, he indicated that he is still happy playing in his home country.
“Look, I love playing here in Australia.
“Firstly, I’m so lucky to live and play rugby in a city like Sydney and I think Australian rugby has so much to give — so much to give — and that really excites me.”
Hooper advised that the “details are being worked through” and the contract was a “work in progress” when asked if five years was too long to commit for.
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With a potential market value of over a million Australian dollars, Hooper has plenty of leveraging power to work a deal on favourable terms. It is understood that Rugby Australia would be willing to reduce the term to keep him around.
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