The Brumbies have confirmed that versatile flanker Tom Hooper will leave the Super Rugby Pacific club after the 2025 season.
The 23-year-old is the latest Wallabies forward to move abroad, following Langi Gleeson’s recent transfer to French club Montpellier. Hooper will join English Premiership side Exeter Chiefs, following in the footsteps of former Brumbies players Nic White, Scott Sio, and Tamati Tua.
Hooper’s move to Exeter comes after reports that the club offered him “roughly double” the salary that Rugby Australia and the Brumbies could provide. Rugby Australia has been fighting wage inflation, making it difficult for the governing body to compete financially.
A product of the Brumbies Pathway program, Hooper moved to Canberra after high school and joined the Brumbies’ Super Rugby squad in 2021. He made his debut for the club later that year against the Crusaders and has since accumulated 38 appearances, including 14 last season.
In 2023, Hooper made his Wallabies debut under former head coach Eddie Jones and went on to play at the Rugby World Cup. However, under current head coach Joe Schmidt, Hooper has fallen down the pecking order. Despite this, he earned a recall to the senior squad after strong performances with Australia A during their UK tour.
Hooper expressed his focus on winning Super Rugby Pacific with the Brumbies in 2025. “I want to send off my stint in Canberra in the best possible way and that’s by giving the fans exactly what they deserve, another Premiership,” he said in a Brumbies statement.
He added, “Across my five seasons as a Brumby, the club and Canberra have become my home. Unfortunately, with the changing dynamic of rugby, sometimes you must fly the coup. That’s what I’m going to be doing next season.”
Hooper also stated that while he was leaving to improve as a player, he hoped to return to Australia as a more experienced player in the future.
Despite his falling out of favour with the Wallabies, Rugby Australia reportedly wanted to keep him in Australia. Peter Horne, Rugby Australia’s Director of High Performance, wished Hooper well as he prepares for his move to Exeter.
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