ACT Brumbies' Tom Hooper in dogged pursuit of Wallabies debut

It was a Sunday like any other for Hooper. He was making a morning coffee when his name flashed on the television news and his phone lit up with messages.

After a roller-coaster season delayed by a rare foot injury, meaning he played just seven games for the Brumbies, the 22-year-old was named as one of eight uncapped players in the 34-man Wallabies squad for the upcoming Rugby Championship.

"The heart was pumping, and I got pretty emotional because it was a special moment for me and my family," Hooper told The Canberra Times.

"It takes a village to raise a child, so all my family and friends from back home in Bathurst, from Canberra and Sydney, the phone has not stopped buzzing.

"I'm really grateful for everyone in my corner.

"Last week after the Super Rugby semi-final they said just keep training and make sure you're ready.

"But the whole week the message was 'pending selection', and a few of us were in the same boat, so it's fair to say it was the most nervous week of my life waiting for the announcement."

Earlier this year after a pre-season injury, Wallabies selection was not something Hooper could have ever dreamed up.

As coach Eddie Jones joked: "Halfway through the year he was walking his dog, and now he's in the Wallabies squad. Has he got a dog?"

Hooper doesn't actually have a dog, but agreed with Jones' sentiment about his meteoric rise.

"The first time I met Eddie I was on a knee scooter for my foot so that might be what he's alluding to while I was scootering around not doing much and carrying waters for the boys," Hooper said.

"That was the one and only time I've met Eddie Jones, so I'll be looking forward to catching up with him again.

"One of the moments I kept thinking about when I found out I was selected was sitting in the surgeon's room when I was told I'd be out for four months.

"I can't thank my medical team at Brumbies enough for getting me back in three months instead of four months, and my mates that stuck by me like Harry Vella who was in rehab with me."

Hooper is the definition of a bolter. He's only played a total of 24 Super Rugby games since joining the Brumbies in 2021.

He's such an unknown in Australian rugby, there's not one place on the internet where his date of birth can be found - it's January 29, 2001, for those wanting to know.

But in seven games through May and June for the Brumbies, Hooper wooed Jones, who hinted the former Tuggeranong Viking is in a three-horse race to be a jumping No.6 against South Africa in Pretoria on July 9.

Hooper's competition in Wallabies camp are Rob Leota and Jed Holloway, and after some wise words from rugby great and Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham in his post-season meeting last week, he's raring to go.

"He said if I get selected I'd be fighting for a spot with a bunch of quality athletes," Hooper said.

"So I've got to get back into training mode and it's not just performing on the Saturday but everyday in training, which is a change of mindset.

"To have a bloke who has been through that as a player and now as a coach, he's a pretty invaluable resource.

"I'm just going to be a sponge in camp. I'm still pinching myself a little bit because these are guys that I grew up watching.

"I do genuinely look up to those players, and Eddie, he's one of the best coaches in the world, so if he says jump, I'll say how high."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: