Tom Hooper signs with Exeter Chiefs for 2025/26

Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter
Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter
©Exeter Chiefs

Exeter Chiefs have announced that Wallabies back row Tom Hooper will join the Gallagher Premiership club ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Hooper started his professional rugby career with Super Rugby club Brumbies in 2021 and has played 38 games for the club since then.

The 23-year-old made his Wallabies debut in The Rugby Championship in July 2023 and was part of the squad that competed in the Rugby World Cup later in the year.

“Across my five seasons as a Brumby, the club and Canberra have become my home,” Hooper told the club's official website.

“Unfortunately, with the changing dynamic of rugby, sometimes you must fly the coop. That’s what I’m going to be doing next year.

“I’m going to leave the Brumbies and try my best to become a better player, with a view to coming back to Australia and becoming an older, more experienced player later down the track, whenever that may be.”

Exeter Chiefs Director of Rugby Rob Baxter is excited about securing the services of Hooper.

"We’re delighted to have signed Tom. A young international who is a big, abrasive back-five forward, we see him having the opportunity to play across our back row but cover second row as well.

“He’s got a lot of the attributes that are really important in Premiership rugby – high work-rate along with good physical size and good physical abilities. He’s also an interesting character and someone we’re excited to bring to the club to grow the team we want to put together going forward.

“Alongside our other young back five forwards, such as Dafydd Jenkins, Rusi Tuima, Greg Fisilau and Ethan Roots – the back five has the ability to be a really strong group that can build over a number of years.

“We’d like to see that all develop into becoming what I’d like to see as a dominant back five to the scrum in the coming seasons.”