English born American Fly-half Will Hooley played in Major League Rugby between 2022-2023. He represented the San Diego Legion for his entire MLR career.

Born in Cambridge, England, Hooley played youth rugby with Cambridge RFC before entering the Northampton Saints system out of school. He played with the Saints in the English Premiership, the Challenge Cup, and the Anglo-Welsh Cup between 2012-2015, winning the Premiership with Saints in 2014 before moving to the Exeter Chiefs from 2015-2017, with the Chiefs winning the Premiership in 2017. Hooley moved to the Championship between 2017-2020, playing with the Bedford Blues before returning to the Premiership with Saracens for the 2020/21 season.

At international level, Hooley represented the England U20s at the 2013 IRB Junior World Championship which they won, before earning his USA debut (whom he is qualified to represent through his American grandmother) against an Argentina XV side on February 3rd 2018 during the Americas Rugby Championship. He earned his full test debut for the Eagles the following week against Canada and earned 20 caps for the USA including representing the Eagles at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. His final test match was against New Zealand on 23rd October 2023.

Hooley entered MLR by joining the San Diego Legion ahead of their 2022 MLR campaign. An injury hampered Hooley’s 2022 season but he returned for 2023 as part of a formidable Legion side that set an MLR record of 74pts in a season, with a 15-1 record and Hooley scoring 89pts, finishing 6th in MLR scoring but falling at the final hurdle, 24-25 to the New England Free Jacks at the MLR Championship Final in Chicago. In total, Hooley scored 123pts in 29 games (21 starts) across two seasons in MLR, both with San Diego.

On 13th June 2023, Hooley announced that he would be retiring from playing professionally at the end of the 2023 MLR season, and has since entered the world of commentary with MLR, also hosting The Rugby Rundown on The Rugby Network with fellow British-American and former Northampton Saints teammate Alex Corbisiero, who is also a part of the San Diego Legion coaching staff.

achievements

• 2023 MLR Runner-Up: San Diego Legion
• 6th in MLR Scoring: 2023 (89pts)