Will Hopoate captained his country yesterday as Tonga fell to a final defeat against England at Headingley, however the St Helens star has now announced his retirement from the sport aged just 31-years-old.
In the absence of Addin Fonua-Blake it was the turn of Hopoate to captain his country, as he had done previously, however Tonga were no match for England in what turned out to be the final game of the full-backs’ career.
He’s today taken to social media to confirm that he will be hanging up the boots with an explanation as to why now is the right time.
Posting on Instagram, he said: “What a ride it’s been‼️ To my family, friends, and fans – thank you for your support! 🤝 To all the teams I’ve represented, coaching staff, and especially my teammates that have helped me learn and love this game – I appreciate you! ✊. To Ty @sportsplayermanagement who I‘ve been with from start to finish, thanks for all your help through my entire journey 🙏
“To mum and dad @thesurgeon555 , thank you for all the driving you did, sacrifices you made and smacks you gave 😅, to get me to first grade, couldn’t have made it without you, ofa lahi atu ❤️. And to you my wife @jimicina_hopoate , thank you for riding the footy roller coaster with me, holding it down at home and moving homes everywhere we have to support me. I was able to live my dream of being a husband, father, and footy player all at the same time because of you, love you 🫶
“Loved every minute of this career I’ve been blessed with 💯. Looking forward to the next chapter 📖. Thank you rugby league 🏈”
It marks the end of an impressive career in which he starred in both the NRL and Super League, whilst also making 13 appearances for Tonga as well.
Hopoate was one of a number of players released from St Helens at the end of the season having completed his two-year deal, and when interviewed by Serious About Rugby League he remained secretive over what the future held.
Speaking on Friday, he told Serious About Rugby League: “Time will tell, time will tell.”
Just two days later and time has told with ‘Hoppa’ calling time after having played over 200 games for the likes of Manly, Parramatta, Canterbury and finally St Helens where he spent his final two seasons.
During his time with St Helens he had the honour of lifting the World Club Challenge title at the start of the 2023 campaign, something he spoke about with Serious About Rugby League.
He explained: “I think you can’t start much better than winning a World Cup challenge over in Penrith. That was probably the highlight of the year for a lot of us.
He added: “The way that game was won, a golden point, a field goal, it will be a memory etched in everyone that was involved in our minds and something that we’ll hold dearly in the place of our heart.”
He’ll now return back to Australia and with all the best wishes of everyone at Serious About Rugby League.
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