John Hopoate Biography

John Hopoate (born 16 January 1974) is an Tongan former professional rugby league footballer, and boxer. A Tonga, Australia and New South Wales State of Origin representative winger, he played in the National Rugby League for Sydney clubs, the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (with whom he won the 1995 Premiership), Wests Tigers and Northern Eagles. Hopoate also became Australian heavyweight boxing champion. He was born in Tonga, but moved to Australia with his family while he was still young and took up the game of rugby league. Hopoate began his professional league career with the Manly-Warringah side while he was only nineteen years of age, and was also selected for the Tonga national team. Hopoate did not play as a regular first-grade player until two years later in 1995 where he showed his ability by scoring 21 tries, finishing second in the top try-scoring table to teammate Steve Menzies. After many controversies his reputation became greatly tarnished and his career continued on a downhill slide, seeing him become the "most suspended player of the modern era". A final incident in 2005 led to him being sacked and he retired from playing. He has since become a professional boxer. He is the father of Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs player Will Hopoate.