The career of Springboks winger Ethan Hooker has developed at a remarkable pace. Seven years ago, he was a 10th-grade student at Westville Boys High School, watching the Springboks win the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, dreaming of playing at the highest level.
Last weekend, the 23-year-old athlete himself played in green and gold, starting as a winger against the All Blacks in Cape Town, and delivered one of his best performances in the Springbok jersey.
Even more incredible is the fact that many players he saw lifting the World Cup trophy in Yokohama are now his teammates. Siya Kolisi, Cheslin Kolbe, Damian de Allende, Handre Pollard, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, and Malcolm Marx are no longer distant heroes on television screens; they are players Hooker interacts with daily.
“It’s unreal. I was in 10th grade watching the World Cup in Japan, and now I say hello to these guys in the morning and play with them during the day,” Hooker shared this week. “But I think I’ve gotten past that phase. Now they’re my friends, but it’s still hard to believe.”
Hooker had to quickly adapt to a changing role in the game. As a natural athlete who felt comfortable at number 12 in school, he also briefly played at number 8 in 11th grade before his progress was interrupted by COVID-19 quarantine.
“I always felt comfortable at 12. I think that’s my position,” he noted. However, the winger position gradually became a second home for him. He added, “I definitely had preferences before, but I feel like I’ve settled into the wing a bit. Now I don’t have preferences. I’m just happy to be on the field.”
The transition from the midfield to the wing required Hooker to develop skills he previously disliked, especially handling high balls. “I used to hate it. Obviously, moving from the center to the wing, I never caught high balls,” he recounted. “But once I started getting good at aerial skills, I started loving the wing.”
Aerial contests are a critical part of Springboks tactics, and Hooker embraced this challenge. “It’s no secret that kicking game is a big part of our system,” he stated. “It’s needed to create momentum. In defense, there are about 15 people lined up, and the only space is behind, and the only way to get there is to kick the ball there. So we take aerial skills seriously. I’m proud of it. It’s important to be good at it.”
Hooker's ability to play across the attacking line has also made him a valuable member of the Springbok team. He joked, “I’m simple. I’ll play wherever I need to, even prop, whatever, to help the team achieve its goal.” He clarified, “In school, I mainly played at 12, and now I like to think I’m versatile and can play wing and centre. I like being able to play multiple positions.”
His rise hasn't been without difficulties. A serious shoulder dislocation required surgery and jeopardized his season. Physical rehabilitation was challenging, but Hooker believes the mental struggle was even harder. “The biggest thing about an injury like that is the mental side,” he said. “You ask yourself how many matches you will miss. That’s the first thing.”
He returned after only 11 weeks, earlier than planned, with support from the Sharks medical team, but regaining confidence in his shoulder took time. “Once you overcome that, you can start fixing yourself. It’s rehabilitation, and you have to do everything step by step. It’s about getting stronger and then regaining confidence.”
Initially, contact caused understandable anxiety. “You are afraid and trying to protect your shoulder,” he recalls. “But now the injured shoulder is stronger than the other, just because it healed. You have to trust it, and with more contact, confidence returns. Now I don’t even think about it.”
This year, he faced another, much more painful issue when he lost his father, Craig. “That is definitely tough,” he said quietly. “It’s hard to see what’s happening at home and not be there with them.”
During this difficult period, Hooker drew strength from his family and the cohesive atmosphere of the Springboks camp. “Being in an environment where I am so close to everyone, and they understand and support me, makes everything much easier.”
Thus, Hooker continues to turn the extraordinary into almost ordinary. From a schoolboy watching the Springboks triumph at the World Cup, he has become an 11-match Springbok player who recently battled the All Blacks on one of the greatest rugby stages. It seems the dream is still coming true.