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Michael Hooper has stepped down from the Waratahs captaincy with Test lock Rob Simmons to take over the role in 2020.
Hooper has been at the helm of the NSW side since 2016, after stepping up as interim skipper in the 2014 title season.
The 28-year-old has also been the Wallabies captain since 2017 and with Australia's turbulent times in recent years, Hooper has shouldered plenty of responsibility on and off the field
It is unclear whether he will continue on as Wallabies skipper but interestingly Hooper will meet new Australia coach Dave Rennie today as he begins his Australian tour.
Simmons has been appointed his replacement with Kurtley Beale his vice-captain.
In a statement, Hooper said he felt it was the right time to give the leadership chance to someone else.
"It’s been an honour to represent New South Wales as a player alone but the opportunity to lead a fantastic group of men over the journey to date has been a humbling experience," he said.
“It’s a role that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed but I feel that the time is right for someone like Rob to lead this group in the season ahead.
“Someone of his quality and character, both on and off the field, leading this young team around will be extremely valuable moving forward. He has the full support of myself and the wider leadership team in building a culture we feel will bring NSW success in Super Rugby.”
Waratahs coach Rob Penney said Simmons was a clear choice to replace Hooper, given his experience and the regard in which he is held by his teammates.
“We’ve had a number of conversations about this and we feel that this is in the best interest of the entire squad,” Penney said.
“Rob has shown himself to be an incredible leader in my short time here at the Waratahs, his presence around the group and his experience at provincial and international level will be an invaluable resource for our younger boys.
“We’ve got an exceptional group of leaders within our squad, and while Rob’s appointment is a wonderful recognition of his qualities, it’s also not his responsibility to lead alone which is something we’ve talked about with our senior players.
“Michael and the wider leadership group will have a pivotal role to play in supporting both he and Kurtley in their roles as captain and vice-captain.”
While Hooper's call may come as a relative shock to many, It is not unusual for national captains and team captains to differ.
In New Zealand, All Blacks captains often don't lead their Super Rugby teams - current skipper Kieran Read is led by Sam Whitelock at the Crusaders and Read served as Crusaders captain when Richie McCaw was New Zealand captain as well.
https://www.rugby.com.au/news/2020/0...XkP_DJdhrHQhxw