99 not out: Sheffield RUFC winger eyes perfect tonne on centenary appearance
A winger who wears the wrong number for his position - in part to confuse opponents - stands on the brink of a neat piece of symmetry for Sheffield RUFC on Saturday.
Chris Hooper, who is too small to wear the No 11 jersey for his position, has scored 99 tries in 99 appearances for the upwardly mobile Abbeydale outfit.
Against Fylde today, he looks to mark a century of appearances by reaching a tonne of tries.
“I’d be lying if I hadn’t thought about it,” said Hooper, 24, a Londoner who has been at the club since being spotted by Sheffield coach Antony Posa playing for the University of Sheffield team in his second year.
“Most important though is the five points and the win, but it would be very nice to do it.”
Asked to pick his favourite tries, Hooper said: “I’d say the couple at Macclesfield away this year.
“We were really digging in, we’d had a player sent off just before half-time so we were really under the pump, and it was a big win against a team right behind us.”
That victory was one of 15 straight for Sheffield who have a four-point lead at the top of National Two North as they seek a first ever promotion to the nationalised third tier.
“There’s a long way to go yet, plenty more rugby to be played. We’re one game at a time, we’re well trained by Ant to say that,” laughed Hooper.
“Being unbeaten brings more pressure than our previous seasons because we’re going into games now thinking we should win. But it’s good pressure to have.”
And as for a left-winger wearing the full-back’s No 15 jersey instead of 11, Hooper added: “It’s because of the shirt sizes. I’m not the biggest.
“Confusing the opposition might be an added bonus of it. Maybe Ants has done it on purpose!”