Exeter's newest Wallaby, Tom Hooper, talks English weather, the upside of rehab and Australia's World Cup hopes, with a tough-it-out mindset.
Exeter Chiefs have become a home away from home for Australian rugby talent, and Tom Hooper is the latest Wallaby to make the move. The club's Aussie roll call is long and star-studded, including Dean Mumm, Dave Dennis, Nic White, Scott Sio, Greg Holmes, Julian Salvi, Ben White, Mitch Lees, Lachie Turner and Len Ikitau. Nearly all of them landed in the south-west of England and thrived.
Why does it keep working? Director of rugby Rob Baxter jokes that the pasties and cider help. Surf spots and sweeping beaches nearby probably don't hurt either. Baxter has a more serious theory too: Devon feels closer to Australia than anywhere else in England, with plenty of open space and a traditional, old-school club culture that suits the Aussies.
Hooper arrives with the same attitude that has served his predecessors. He knows the English weather will test him and that rugby demands you push through discomfort now and then. He also sees a positive side to rehab, treating time away from match action as a chance to reset and build.
He is also looking ahead to what Australia can achieve at the World Cup. With another Wallaby now in Exeter's ranks, the Chiefs' Australian connection looks set to keep growing.
