Queensland Reds sign Lachlan Hooper after standout NPC campaign with Northland

Lachlan Hooper has signed with the Queensland Reds for the 2027 Super Rugby Pacific season, the club confirmed, with head coach Vern Cotter identifying the 22-year-old backrower as a versatile addition to his forward pack after monitoring him across two NPC seasons with Northland.

Hooper, younger brother of Wallabies flanker Tom Hooper, has spent time in both the ACT Brumbies and NSW Waratahs systems without yet making his Super Rugby Pacific debut. His most prominent appearance at that level came against the British & Irish Lions last July, when he started for the Brumbies in their tour fixture.

The New Zealand provincial competition has been the making of Hooper’s recent form. Now in his second season with Northland, the lock-backrow utility scored a hat-trick in a commanding round-three win over Taranaki on 14 August and has started three further matches against Manawatu and Canterbury. Northland, who ended a near 50-year Ranfurly Shield drought last week with Hooper at openside flanker, sit among the top sides in the NPC after four rounds.

Hooper, a product of Barker College and a 2023 Australia Under-20s representative who started all five matches at blindside flanker at that year’s World Rugby Junior World Championship, credited his time in New Zealand with sharpening his physicality.

“The NPC is a very physical comp,” Hooper said. “I’ve always enjoyed putting my head in dark places and I definitely feel my physicality has gone up playing two seasons in NZ. There has been a real benefit to getting some high-quality footy and seeing rugby from a different view.”

Hooper also pointed to the influence of Cotter’s reputation in drawing him to Brisbane. “I’ve noted the way the Blues boys in the Northland squad talk about Vern. He’s firm and there’s that strong ‘let’s go through ‘em’ mentality on the field if there is no way around it. I’ve only heard good things about the Reds set-up and I’m excited to work under Vern.”

Cotter confirmed the signing had been in his thinking since last season. “I had an eye on him from last year’s NPC. He’s been playing well with Northland this season and he definitely offers good versatility in the forwards.”

The deal adds a family dimension to the Reds’ future roster. Older brother Tom Hooper is Brisbane-bound on a two-year deal beginning in mid-2028, meaning the siblings could eventually be teammates. Lachlan joked the pair have already begun negotiating over who holds the rights to the shared nickname ‘Hoops’, should he “push my case to stay around longer.”