Exeter backrower Tom Hooper is committed to re-taking his spot in the Wallabies squad as the freshened-up enforcer fights for his return.
Hooper has returned to the squad after a hairline fracture to his scapula ruled him out for close to a month.
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Whilst his fellow Chiefs teammates are deep in pre-season training, the 25-year-old has been cleared to play for the Wallabies in their two-Test series against Argentina, along with the Springboks Test on September 27, the exact same week the Premiership starts.
The Tests are covered under World Rugby’s regulation 9, which dictates the mandatory release of players by clubs for internationals, with Racing 92 prop Taniela Tupou likely under similar rulings.
Both are expected to miss the Bledisloe Cup series as they return to their clubs, before coming back for November's Nations Championship Tests.
"As long as they keep picking me I'll keep showing up and then whenever I'm not allowed to because of rules and all that jazz, I'll head back to Exeter and keep showing up for them and then hopefully pop back into Wallaby camp," he said to reporters.
"It's a bit of a back and forth for me for the next couple of years, but I'm just going to make sure I keep playing well, and then I'll just get told where I'm going and just try and play good footy wherever that is."
Hooper has relished the forced time off after an intense 18 months of Rugby.
Since the start of the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season, the backrower has played 51 matches, accounting for just under 3,500 minutes of Rugby.
"Definitely a blessing in disguise. You really notch up the games over there," he remarked on the injury.
"I've already played 20-25 odd games for the Exeter Chiefs, which is a massive workload, so to come back down here and obviously I was absolutely gutted to be missing out on some quality Test matches and you see the boys digging in, you just want to be out there, but you've definitely just got to listen to your body.
"That's what I think we learn as athletes: you've got to listen to your body when it's trying to tell you something, and for me it was trying to tell me that I needed to get everything right and ready to go for a big back end of the year."
Hooper was looking to show off his growth as a player since his move to the Premiership, quickly becoming a fan favourite in south-west England after getting them to the Final.
"I think it's a different brand of rugby that they play over there and I think any time you kind of expose yourself to a new stimulus you're going to improve and that's certainly what I've done over the last 12 months heading over there," he added.
"There's plenty of 'Argies' floating around the Prem, so it'll be good to see a few of them on the field, if not afterwards for a beer but they're all good feels who play hard and are very passionate.
"It's been good playing against Argentinians, South Africans, the Poms, the Welsh, you name it, we play all of them over there. It's been a really good experience getting to play a whole different range of athletes but also a different brand of rugby."
