Michael Hooper is not hanging up the boots just yet.
The Wallabies great, who retired from Australian rugby after missing Olympic Games selection last year, told Wide World of Sports that he is returning to Japan to play for Toyota Verblitz.
Toyota have just one win after four games in the season and Hooper has signed for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign.
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Michael Hooper of Toyota Verblitz gestures at Prince Chichibu Memorial Ground. Getty
Hooper told WWOS that an injury to Springboks legend Pieter-Steph du Toit opened the door for a return to the club he enjoyed playing for in 2021.
The 33-year-old recently received a call from former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, who co-coaches the Japanese team with Ian Foster.
"It's a great club, really good people and competitive," Hooper said.
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All Blacks coach Steve Hansen and assistant Ian Foster celebrate beating the Wallabies in 2019. Getty
"There wasn't too many places I would have really been keen to play, and this was right up there because I had such a fond memory from being up there a few years back.
"Really lucky, to be honest, and thankful for Steve Hansen to give me an opportunity."
Hooper will travel to Japan with his family as soon as his visa is approved.
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He is fit and free from injury but needs to put on some muscle and get through some contact work before returning to the field.
"I'm not rugby ready just yet, not making a tackle or really throwing the ball around for quite some time," Hooper said.
"I just need to probably put on a kilo or two, yeah."
Michael Hooper takes to the field with the match ball. Getty
Hooper played his last Test for the Wallabies in 2023 before being unceremoniously axed by Eddie Jones ahead of the ill fated Rugby World Cup.
He then turned his hand to sevens but a series of injuries stalled his selection bid and he was left out of the Australia squad that finished fourth in Paris last year.
"It was a hard stint in trying to learn a different game and the body didn't cooperate as well as I would have liked," Hooper said.
Michael Hooper scores his first sevens try against Canada. Supplied
"By the end of that I was pretty cooked because it felt like I'd been battling body stuff for a while and not getting the rewards out of it.
"So when I finished up with sevens, it was very much a case of, 'OK, well, I'm needing a break'. I don't know what it's going to look like. I don't know if that's taking the field again. If I don't take the field again, I'm OK with that.
"But there is still a little part of me that would like to see if I could mix it again. I'm just stoked. It's a bit of a Hail Mary that we didn't see coming. There was some discussions a while back but this has really developed in pretty much a week's time."
Michael Hooper on Between Two Posts. Stan
Hooper is expected to return to Australia as an expert pundit for Stan Sport during the blockbuster Wallabies series against the British and Irish Lions in July and August.
"I'm really thankful for Stan. I did get cut from some teams and each time was picked up by Stan, to be a part of the World Cup and the Olympics in a different way," he said.
"I've been enjoying trying to explain the game from a player's point of view. So that's been enjoyable and I hope I didn't piss anyone off too much now that I've got to play again and get my head taken off, so we'll see how we go."
