After 121 caps Michael Hooper, one of the most courageous rugby players of all time, walks away. Will the rugby bosses ask the tough questions about injuries and stress? Probably not, writes Lucky Maree.
As the Springboks prepared to take on the All Blacks in Mbombela, a sad announcement came from South America.
“My whole career I’ve put the team first but I don’t feel I am able to fulfil my responsibilities at the moment with my current mindset,” said Michael Hooper in a statement, announcing his withdrawal from the Australian team before the Wallabies faced Argentina in Mendoza. “While this decision did not come easily I know it is the right one for me and the team.”
Since Hooper played his first match for the Wallabies in 2012, he has always given everything. Never the biggest player, he has always manned up with heart and soul.
One of the fittest men on the field, Hooper always came off the field after a match as one of the most exhausted. Often on the losing side, Hooper has never shown any signs of wavering in his desire to play the full 80 minutes and empty the tank.
The signs, if you cared to look for them, have been there for some time.
Hooper has spoken openly in the past about the stresses of professional sport, the pressure of leadership and of social media.
“Players are getting a lot better at talking to each other about it,” Hooper said.
“You see so much stuff that’s constantly bombarding you about your job, day in and day out.”
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has strongly supported Hooper. He said there were no signs during the week of what he called Hooper’s anguish.
Rennie said nothing was evident in how he trained and how he contributed around the team.
“But clearly he’s been struggling a bit and masking that pretty well,” Rennie told reporters from AEST in Argentina on Saturday.
He said Hooper spoke to Sharron Flahive, Wallabies team doctor, and then spoke to team manager Chris Webb and himself.
“He addressed the team today which took enormous courage to let them know he’s not okay and felt it was best for himself and the team that he heads home,” said Rennie.
“It was an easy decision to let him go home and he’ll get plenty of support around him.” Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos added: “He plays the game wearing his heart on his sleeve and emptying his tank.
“He was brave to come forward and let us know how he was feeling.”
With Hooper’s sudden departure, the question of pressure on athletes in sport, specifically at international level, comes to the fore again.
In addition to the mental stresses, rugby adds a component of physical injury that can no longer be ignored.
Recent events have shown that senior rugby managers are less than decisive decision-makers who spend a lot of time, in modern words, “being offended” and protecting their own positions and status.
New Zealand Rugby does not have the courage to act on Ian Foster. It’s beginning to look as if he will still be around for the World Cup.
World Rugby, in spite of facing a legal challenge by more than 100 players about dementia, is responding to the challenges of the sport by punishing players with yellow and red cards.
And will the case of Hooper make the rugby bosses ask tough questions? Probably not.
Rennie would not comment on when Hooper would be back. Perhaps this giant of international rugby will not be back at all.
Image source: @Nine
