Tom Hooper will remain with Exeter until the summer of 2028 before returning to Australia to join the Queensland Reds ahead of the 2029 Super Rugby Pacific season. The arrangement also sets out his domestic rugby future in Australia through 2030.
The 25-year-old flanker had already been tied to Exeter until the end of the 2026-27 campaign, but this extension gives the Premiership club another season with a player who made 23 appearances in his first year in England. Hooper was part of Exeter’s run to the Premiership final at Twickenham and their European Challenge Cup semi-final campaign, which ended against Ulster.
Hooper arrived from the ACT Brumbies after last year’s Rugby Championship, while fellow Australian Len Ikitau has since gone back home before the next Rugby World Cup. Hooper’s decision creates a different timeline: more time in Europe first, then a scheduled return to Australian domestic rugby.
For the Wallabies, the move is notable because Hooper has already earned 23 caps since his 2023 debut against South Africa. Rugby Australia’s high-performance leadership welcomed the planned return, while Hooper indicated his immediate focus remains on developing at Exeter and contributing to Australia’s national side.
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