Tom Hooper: Australia flanker open to extending Exeter contract

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 them.

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.

“That’s one of my greatest desires, just being in that jersey and performing well at a home World Cup.”