Lachlan Hooper, brother of a Wallaby, starts for Northland in their first-ever NPC Division I final

Lachlan Hooper, the younger brother of Wallaby great Michael Hooper, will start at openside flanker for Northland in their first-ever NPC Division I final against defending champions Canterbury at Te Kaha, One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch on Labour Day Monday.

The 2025 season offered the fledgling professional little choice when his Super Rugby Pacific commitments ended. “I’d never heard of it,” Hooper told RugbyPass of Whangarei. “Northland was after a loose forward. It was the only option on the table; alright then.”

It has proven a remarkable fit. Northland arrive at the final on the back of a stunning 36-12 victory over Canterbury on August 20 — the game in which they claimed the Ranfurly Shield for the first time since 1978 and recorded their first win against Canterbury in Christchurch since 1987. Hooper is under no illusions about the step up in difficulty a final brings. “One thing I know about finals footy is that it will be a hundred per cent tougher,” he said. “We have a plan that has worked for us. We’re going to back it again. If we are accurate with our set pieces, win the collisions and throw in a few surprises, it’ll be a good game.”

Hooper has been central to Northland’s forward-driven campaign, playing lock and across the back row in 12 appearances. He scored three tries in a 42-0 demolition of Taranaki on August 14 — the first time since September 3, 1980 that Northland had held a Division I opponent scoreless — and crossed twice more in a 34-17 Ranfurly Shield defence against Waikato on September 12, the day halfback Sam Nock celebrated his 100th game for the province. Across the season he has made 118 tackles, won 13 turnovers and secured 26 lineout catches.

Hooper traces the squad’s transformation to a single result the previous October, when Counties Manukau’s 49-41 win over Tasman kept Northland out of the 2025 playoffs. “We vowed not to put ourselves in that position again,” he said. “At the start of this year we had an intense camp: no phones, no wifi, just 30 boys focused on fitness, game plan, team building and setting clear goals about what we wanted to achieve. Taking away the luxury can bring out that inner fight.”

The move north has also left a personal mark. Hooper, who grew up in Bathurst, New South Wales, drew parallels between his hometown and his adopted one. “Whangarei — what does it mean now? It’s like a second home,” he said. “Similar to Whangarei, not a lot goes on, but there’s something about the sense of community and the passion of the supporters in both places that draws you in.”

He also acknowledged a steep cultural learning curve, recalling his first attempt at a haka with characteristic candour. “My first haka was an embarrassment. A video of that is floating around somewhere. I’m glad it’s vanished. It’s a shocker.”