HE grew up as a Bathurst Bulldogs junior who idolised Wallabies and hated All Blacks and now Lachlan Hooper is about to add his own chapter to that fierce rugby rivalry.
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The 19-year-old flanker has been named in the Junior Wallabies squad that will take on the New Zealand under 20s in two-match series.
It will mark the first time that Hooper has worn green and gold, but the second time a member of his family gets a chance to bring down a New Zealand side.
In 2019 Lachlan's older brother Tom was a member of the Australian Schoolboys which beat New Zealand 18-14 in Hamilton. It ended a seven-year Trans-Tasman Shield drought for the boys in green and gold.
"I think it's a bit in the family that I've got a bit of hatred towards New Zealand with rugby, as is the case with most Aussies. Tom did it and beat them over there so I'd definitely love to go over there and put it to them on their home soil," Lachlan Hooper said.
"Going to New Zealand, there's no better place in the world given the rivalry between Australia and New Zealand is so rich."
Hooper got his first taste of rugby union as a Bathurst Bulldogs junior. As an under 7 he played in a curtain raiser to an Australia versus New Zealand Test match.
He went on to play for Stannies then Barker College, was captain of the NSW Waratahs Academy under 18s and followed in the footsteps of his brother in now being in the ACT Brumbies set up.
It was last November that Hooper, as well as fellow Bathurst Bulldogs junior Henry Palmer, were named in the 48-player Junior Wallabies train-on squad.
As part of that squad they attended a pair of week-long camps at the Australian Institute of Sport. It was there they learned more about what it takes to wear the green and gold.
"They were a lot learnings, a little less physical on the body, but there was a lot of information thrown at us and we were expected to learn it in the day," Hooper said.
"It was definitely different getting told some of the plays in the morning then having training in the arvo and being expected to run it perfectly the first time, it was definitely a step up."
From that initial squad, only 31 spots were on offer for the two-match tour of New Zealand. Hooper was naturally hoping his name was on that list.
"It was actually on Mothers' Day I found out, I was out for brekky with Mum when I got the call," he said.
"It was definitely a nervous morning knowing the calls were coming out that day, but when the call came and I got told that I was in, it was a bit of a weight off the shoulders, a bit of disbelief and shock, and then just excitement for it.
"Mum was definitely pretty happy with that Mothers' Day present."
In New Zealand the Junior Wallabies will play a pair of matches against the under 20 All Blacks in Wellington.
It will also mean that Lachlan gets to do something brother Tom hasn't got on his resume. While Tom was selected in the Junior Wallabies, the COVID-19 pandemic meant he never actually got to play for them.
"I won't let him hear the end of that," Lachlan laughed.
"He's lucky he's older and has been able to do things first, but I'm definitely trying to chase him down.
"Obviously seeing Tom take that way and showing how to do it definitely gave me that bit of belief I could do it and bit of fight as well because all siblings have those rivalries."
The second of the two tour games in New Zealand will be played at Sky Stadium and will act as a curtain raiser for the Super Rugby Pacific clash between the Hurricanes and Crusaders.
Hooper can't wait for that match.
"Hopefully we get a very good crowd, I think being able to play in that stadium will also be a bit of a shock to the system," he said.
While beating an All Blacks side in New Zealand is motivation for any Australian rugby player to perform, there is also something bigger at play for Hooper.
He's hoping that he can impress Junior Wallabies coaching staff enough to earn a ticket to South Africa in June for the Under 20 World Championships.
"I'm not 100 percent sure how many they are taking over to South Africa, but it's the final trial to put your name forward for that World Cup tour, that would be a very big dream to play in that," Hooper said.
"So I've just got to rip in and hope for the best."
Hooper is now on the Gold Coast in camp with his Junior Wallabies team-mates, fresh from a win in the John Dent Cup's top grade for the Tuggeranong Vikings.
Hooper and his Vikings are undefeated so far this season.
"It's step up from school footy with just bigger bodies and dealing with a lot more contact. But everyone there is super nice and it's been really easy to fit in," he said.
"It feels like I've been there for ages, especially with Tom being there too ... it feels like home."
The Junior Wallabies matches against the New Zealand Under 20s will be played on May 29 and June 3.
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