Stuart Hooper

Infobox Rugby Union biography
playername = Stuart Hooper


fullname = Stuart Hooper
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1981|10|18
cityofbirth = Exeter
countryofbirth = England
height = height|ft=6|in=5
weight = 17 st 0 lb (110 kg)
nickname = Hoops
school = Ivybridge Community College
university =
relatives =
position = Lock
currentclub = Leeds Carnegie
clubnumber = 4
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1999 ‐ 03
2003 ‐
clubs = Saracens
Leeds Carnegie
caps(points) =

repyears =
repteam =
repcaps(points) =
pcupdate =
repupdate =

Stuart Hooper born 13 July 1981 in Exeter, England is a rugby union player for Leeds Carnegie in the Guinness Premiership.

Stuart Hooper's position of choice is as a Lock.

Hooper could have been a league basketball player, having played at county level until he was 16, before opting for rugby on his move to the specialist sports campus at Ivybridge Community College in Devon.

He broke into the Saracens team whilst still a teenager and played alongside French legend Abdel Benazzi in the second row. After making over 30 appearances or so for Saracens he made a surprise move to Leeds in June 2003. He made his Tykes debut against Bath Rugby on 14 September 2003. In June 2005 Hooper was called up for England 'A' against France and was part of their Churchill Cup success in Canada.

Phil Davies said at the time of his joining the Tykes: "Stuart Hooper is one of the best young second-rows in the country. He is an England Under-21 international and has a massive future in the game. I've been looking at him for more than a year and I'm chuffed to bits he's agreed to come to the Tykes. Saracens certainly didn't want to let him go but when the time was right we moved in and now he's on his way to Headingley."

Hooper was appointed as captain of Leeds Tykes for the 2005-06 Guinness Premiership season, and in doing so became the youngest captain in the league.

In April 2006 Hooper signed a new deal until the end of the 2009 season.

"The major factor in agreeing to sign is the potential for the Tykes to succeed in the years to come," he said at the time of his deal. I honestly believe that my ambitions both at club and international level can be realised as a Leeds player."

From the 2008 season, he will join Bath Rugby, in part replacing the departing Steve Borthwick and enabling him to move closer to his West Country roots. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/bath/7263283.stm BBC SPORT | Rugby Union | My Club | Bath | Leeds skipper Hooper to join Bath ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.leedscarnegie.co.uk/index_teamprofile_stuart_hooper.htm Leeds profile]
* [http://www.england-rugby.com/englandrugby/index.cfm?fuseaction=News.News_Detail&storyid=10910 England profile]