Michael Hooper offered five-year mega deal by Rugby Australia
Michael Hooper has been offered a five-year deal by the Australian board
©PA
Wallabies star Michael Hooper has been offered a five-year deal by Rugby Australia (RA) in a bid to acquire his services through the 2023 World Cup.
Even though there was no official confirmation from RA, it is reported that the Australian board has offered the Waratahs flanker one of the longest-ever deal that will see him draw a salary of about $1 million a season with his previous contract about to expire at the end of the year.
A RA spokesman told AFP: “We don’t comment on contract negotiations.”
When the 26-year-old was contacted on the prospect of committing himself to the Wallabies on a long-term deal, he said: "I love playing rugby in Australia. It is such a great place to play rugby," he told Daily Telegraph.
“There is a great talent pool and we have a lot of players coming up who are hungry to win, and that’s something that is exciting.
“Next week is in my head at the moment.
“You can’t get caught up in looking too far down the track. You have to focus on the here and now. That’s where my head is at.
“These things take time (to finalise). There are a lot of things going on, as you can imagine. Whenever that time arrives, so be it.”
Meanwhile, New South Wales Rugby chief executive Andrew Hore said it is vital to the club's chances to retain Hooper and Israel Folau with the duo's contract set to expire this year.
“We’re trying to build something here and I think Michael is very important in our future moving forward and we’ve got a lot of time for him as a man as well as a rugby player,” Hore told AAP.
“They are pretty critical for us to retain.”
