Bryan Habana backs Michael Hooper to shine in sevens as Australian targets Olympics

Bryan Habana has backed Michael Hooper to star in sevens as the Australian targets Olympic success at Paris 2024.

The flanker, capped 125 times for his country in the 15-a-side game, made a hotly anticipated debut in the SVNS series in Hong Kong last weekend, helping to seal a 12-0 victory over Fiji.

With Hooper still new to the short format and adjusting to the different style of fitness required, coach John Manenti elected not to call upon the 32-year-old in the semi-final defeat to New Zealand, who went on to secure victory in the men’s event.

The flanker will have two more chances to impress ahead of Paris 2024 selection, with the regular season culminating in Singapore next month before finals weekend in Madrid at the end of May.

Hooper was controversially omitted from the Wallabies’ World Cup squad by Eddie Jones in the autumn, with Australia suffering a disastrous pool stage exit in his absence.

And having made the switch to sevens, Springboks legend Habana – who attempted his own transition ahead of the Rio Olympics in 2016 – believes Hooper has what it takes to excel.

“I think it’s brilliant,” Habana, an HSBC global brand ambassador, said of Hooper’s decision to chase sevens success. “His engine alone, his tenacity and mental fortitude stand him in good stead.

“I felt he got the short end of the stick before the Rugby World Cup. For a guy who has given the game so much and is as astute as he is, with his leadership abilities and what he’s achieved in the game, to come over is great. He is giving himself a real crack to make a success of this sevens experience and maybe go to an Olympics.”

Hooper follows France star Antoine Dupont into sevens, with the scrum-half missing the Six Nations to instead lead the Olympic hosts to their first SVNS series title in 19 years.

Swapping between the two formats is exceptionally common in the women’s game, while plenty of other high-profile 15-a-side men’s players have attempted the move.

Habana and Australia’s Quade Cooper ultimately missed out on selection for the 2016 Olympics, but Sonny Bill Williams featured for New Zealand at the tournament. Back-to-back gold medallists Fiji have also utilised dual-format stars including Semi Radradra, Leone Nakarawa and Josua Tuisova to power them to victory.

While admitting that it will be cruel for a dedicated sevens player to miss out for either Dupont or Hooper, Habana believes tough choices have to be made.

“The difficulty a coach has is that when you have had a core set-up who have been involved in sevens for a while, yes you can bring in a superstar, but what about that person who has grafted extremely hard?

“It’s gut wrenching for those that miss out. But bold decisions need to be made – if we do see Antoine Dupont or Michael Hooper get into a side and they go on and win a gold medal, that’s amazing, right?

“Fiji have had a recipe that is very successful. If I reflect back on the last two cycles, the most ideal [transition] was probably Sonny Bill Williams. He played the whole season.”

Habana’s own attempt to make the Olympics was hampered by injury and unavailability due to his contract with French club Toulon.

But while it ended without an appearance at the quadrennial event, South Africa’s record try scorer recalls his time in sevens fondly.

“The biggest effort for me was trying to transition my body,” Habana recalled. “The repetitive effort required in sevens was something I hadn’t experienced for 12 years.

“I really struggled with that initially. Even though I thought I went well, I unfortunately got injured, and the chat with [South Africa coach] Neil Powell before coming over was that I would need to play four tournaments to really give myself a chance. I missed out on the events in Paris and London, and Neil couldn’t justify that those who were involved for the last 10 years would miss out on the Olympics.

“I was gutted that I didn’t make it but I was with the squad right up until the final selection was made in July. To see the boys go on to get a bronze medal at the Olympics, knowing you’d had a part to play, was still a proud moment, as gutted as I was individually not to be in Rio.

“The brotherhood I got to experience was something I’d never had. I was blown away by their positivity throughout. I got to feel a part of something special, and reflect on it saying I gave it my best shot, even if I fell short.”

HSBC – title partner of the HSBC SVNS – has launched the new documentary-style film Going for Green and Gold with Michael Hooper, where the former Wallabies captain shares his story for the first time.