Tom Hooper: Exeter’s Australia flanker on Prem and World Cup ambitions

The list of Australians moving to Sandy Park is long and distinguished.

Players including Dean Mumm, Dave Dennis, Greg Holmes, Lachie Turner and Nic White have all shone in Devon.

Former Australia, and now Samoa prop Scott Sio, was on hand to give Hooper some insight in his fourth season at Exeter while scrum-half White, who spent two-and-a-half season at the Chiefs also provided him with important counsel.

“He was always speaking very highly of this place,” Hooper says of White, who he first played alongside as a teenager with Super Rugby’s Brumbies in 2021.

“So it was always kind of on the wish list, on the bucket list to try and tick off playing here at some stage.

“I actually didn’t think it was going to be so early in my career, but I’m so blessed that they came looking for me and I just knew it was a pretty easy answer once a few things got aligned.”

And now he is in England he is getting used to a highly competitive Prem Rugby season.

Exeter are third at the midway stage of the campaign with 50% more wins than their entire total last season when they finished second-from-bottom.

“I knew it was a quality competition and I wanted to better myself as an individual and as a rugby player,” he said.

“Coming here, not just the ferocity of the games on the field, but I guess the challenges off field in terms of improving myself as an athlete in the gym, on the training park, it’s been great.

“I’ve loved how everyone goes about their business over here, whether that’s us or our competition that we’re facing.

“I’m loving the standard that it’s forcing me to rise to.”