Hooker Rugby Position: What Does a Hooker Do?
Rugby IQ · 3 November 2026 · 6 min read
With Petrus du Plessis · Scrum Coach
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Hooker, rugby union’s number 2, sits in the middle of the front row, bound between the two props. Hookers throw the ball in at every lineout, strike for the ball at the scrum, and spend the rest of the match carrying, clearing rucks and tackling like a third prop. See where the 2 shirt sits among all fifteen rugby positions.
What are the hooker’s three jobs?
The hooker position in rugby is built around the set piece, and it reduces to three jobs.
- Throw. The hooker throws the ball into every lineout the side is awarded, and the throw has to travel straight down the middle.
- Strike. At the scrum the hooker keeps the scrum stable until the call, then hooks the ball back with a foot. That is where the name comes from.
- Work in the loose. Between set pieces the hooker carries into contact, clears rucks, joins mauls and tackles, much as the props do.
Read the full guide
What physical attributes does a hooker need?
Four qualities, and where each one lives in a training week. The Rugby World Cup’s own explainer puts it in four words: agility, strength, deft hands and an accurate throw.
| Attribute | Why the hooker needs it | How it is trained |
|---|---|---|
| An accurate throw | Every lineout the side wins starts with the hooker's throw, and it must go straight down the middle | A still target at five metres, then seven, then the back of a live pod, repeated when tired |
| Scrum strength and timing | The hooker sits between the props, keeps the brake foot down until the call and strikes for the ball | Live scrummaging with the props, plus the front row's heavy lower-body lifts |
| A strong neck and trunk | The front row takes the load of the scrum through the neck and shoulders | Direct neck work every week and loaded carries for the trunk and grip |
| Hands and work rate in the loose | Between set pieces the hooker carries, clears rucks and joins mauls like a prop | Handling under fatigue and ruck work inside conditioning |
Hookers come in many shapes and sizes, and more of them now carry the handling and agility to play a full part in the loose as well as the set piece. The sourced size bands sit on one page only, rugby positions by body type.
The hooker at the scrum and the lineout
The two set pieces are where a hooker is judged, and the laws say exactly what the job is in each.
At the scrum
World Rugby’s scrum law puts two props and one hooker in the front row. While the scrum sets, the hooker keeps a “brake” foot down to hold it stable, and lifts it only when the referee calls “set”. Once the ball is in, the hooker of the team that put it in must strike for it, hooking it back through the scrum to the number 8 and the scrum-half. Because the shirt is that specialised, a side that cannot field a trained front-rower at hooker plays the match with uncontested scrums.
At the lineout
The hooker throws down the corridor between the two lines of forwards, and a jumper is lifted to catch it. It is a contest the throwing team should win, because only they know where the ball is going. When the other side throws in, the hooker defends the space between the touchline and the front of the lineout. The whole set piece, from the calls to the lift, is in line out rugby.
How does a hooker train?
A hooker trains like the rest of the front row, plus the one skill only the hooker owns. These four qualities carry the week, and the numbers are the ones our gym program already publishes for the front row.
| Quality | Why the hooker needs it | What a session looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Hip and back strength | Every scrum and every collision starts from it | Trap-bar deadlift, 4 sets of 5, the front row's main lift in our gym program |
| Trunk and grip under load | It holds a body shape together in contact and in the scrum | Farmer's carry, 3 sets of 40 metres |
| Neck strength | The front row carries the scrum through the neck | Direct neck work every week, built up from holds to harness work |
| The throw | It is the skill only the hooker owns | The same grip, elbow height and follow-through at every distance, to a still target and then a live pod |
The full lift list is in the rugby gym program, and the free training plan builder builds a front-row week for you. Neck work is set out level by level in rugby neck exercises, by Petrus du Plessis, the scrum coach.
How is the hooker different in rugby league?
In rugby league the hooker usually wears 9 and plays dummy half, picking the ball up to restart play after every tackle. League scrums have six players a side and are largely uncontested, so the league hooker’s job is handling rather than striking and throwing.
Where to find out more
The hooker packs down with the props, so prop rugby is the closest read. The whole fifteen are in rugby positions, and rugby positions by body type runs it the other way, from the frame you have to the shirt it suits. To train the shirt rather than read about it, ERA’s gym programs are built position by position.
Frequently asked questions
What number does the hooker wear in rugby?
The hooker wears number 2 in rugby union, standing between the loosehead prop at 1 and the tighthead prop at 3 to make up the front row. In rugby league the hooker usually wears 9 instead, because the league numbering runs differently and the job there is mostly dummy half.
What does a rugby hooker do?
A rugby hooker throws the ball in at every lineout, strikes for the ball at the scrum and helps set the scrum's timing. In open play the hooker works like a third prop: carrying into contact, clearing rucks, joining mauls and tackling all match long.
Why is the hooker called the hooker in rugby?
The hooker is called the hooker because of the scrum: when the ball is put in, the hooker hooks it back with a foot towards the back of the scrum. World Rugby's law still says the hooker of the team that put the ball in must strike for it.
What is the role of a hooker in rugby?
The role of a hooker in rugby is to win the set piece: an accurate throw at the lineout and a clean strike at the scrum. Around that, the hooker is one of the forwards' main voices and a strong carrier and tackler in the loose.
What is a hooker in rugby union?
A hooker in rugby union is one of the eight forwards: the player in the middle of the front row, bound between the two props. It is a specialist shirt, and if a side cannot put a trained front-rower there, the scrums in that match become uncontested.
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