John Hopoate (born 16 January 1974 in Tonga) is a former professional rugby league player and boxer who was involved in sport controversies and subsequently convicted for violent crimes. He played rugby league in the Tonga national rugby league team, Australian Rugby League team, NSW State of Origin team and in the National Rugby League (NRL) for Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (including their 1996 Premiership team), Wests Tigers and the Northern Eagles. He became the "most suspended player of the modern era". In 2018 he was banned for 10 years by the NSWRL from any involvement in its and affiliated rugby league.
Hopoate was the Australian heavyweight boxing champion from 2008 to 2009.
He is the father of footballers William, Jamil and Albert Hopoate.
Childhood and personal life
Hopoate was born in Nukualofa, Tonga on 16 January 1974. His family moved to Australia and he lived in the Manly area of Sydney before moving to the western suburbs as a teenager. Hopoate is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Rugby League career
Former Australian international Bob Fulton recruited Hopoate to the Manly club after witnessing his power and skill playing as a junior for a Manly Cove team before then going on to play in the under nineteen New South Wales team.
1993-99 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Hopoate signed with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club in 1993 while nineteen years of age and made his first grade debut against the Canberra Raiders at Brookvale Oval 6 June the same year. He played in the Tonga national rugby league team in the 1994 Pacific Cup, however he was in and out of the first grade team on a regular basis, not holding down a regular position until 1995.
Hopoate's early season form in 1995 was sublime as he went on to score eleven tries from his first eleven first grade appearances and subsequently lead the try scoring table. After his spectacular form and try scoring feats during the 1995 season Hopoate was called up to his first senior representative match for New South Wales in game one of the 1995 State of Origin series. After a decent performance from Hopoate he was retained for the second game but then subsequently dropped from the third game because of an injury.
Over the remaining rounds of the 1995 ARL season Hopoate went on to score a total of twenty-one tries, finishing second in the top try-scoring table to teammate Steve Menzies. He was instrumental in Manly's good form leading into the finals series but Manly lost to the Bulldogs.
The Tongan rugby league team looked to pick Hopoate based on his nation of birth for the 1995 World Cup but the ARL selected him in the Kangaroos team under the residency rule. He played in the opening match of the cup yet failed to score and then made a vital mistake that became the turning point in a match that was eventually won by the English team. In the following match, against the South African team, Hopoate scored three times in the 86 to 6 victory.
In his fourth season at Manly, Hopoate was again instrumental in his team's fortunes. He began the season slowly in comparison to his previous year with only five tries over the first twenty rounds of the season but his defence had improved immensely; helping his team to concede less tries. He scored another six tries for the season including four in one game against the South Sydney Rabbitohs and ultimately helped his Manly team to their first premiership in over eight years.
In the 1997 season, Hopoate again started the season slowly, scoring only two tries in twelve games but in the round twelve match against the St. George Dragons he scored three tries and continued his form scoring eight tries in his next six games and a total of fifteen for the season.
2000-01 Wests Tigers
Signing for the newly merged Wests Tigers in 2000 Hopoate scored just five tries in the season. He was suspended several times during the season, including being charged with 'contrary conduct' in a late season game against Melbourne resulting from over ten separate incidents in that game.
In 2001, Hopoate began the season poorly, scoring only one try in several games, before involvement in incidents of inserting his fingers into the anuses of three players resulting in his being suspended for twelve weeks and agreeing to part ways with the Tigers club.