Mormon Rugby Player William Hopoate Refuses to Play on Sundays

By Alison Lesley --
31 Mar 2016 --

By https://www.flickr.com/photos/naparazzi [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

William Hopoate of the NRL announced he would not play or train on Sundays because of his Mormon beliefs.

William Hopoate is a true Mormon. He truly believes in his heart that all the amazing opportunities and happiness that he has received so far in this life has been because of the fact that he has been putting God first in all the areas of his life.

Mormon Rugby Player William Hopoate Refuses to Play on Sundays[/tweetthis]

According to him, he is a Mormon because it brings happiness not only into his life but also into the lives of all the other people around him. The LDS Church has helped him to bring his family together and make it stronger. Family and faith are the most important things in life. Being a Mormon and having stronger faith in God, according to Hopoate, has helped him to keep a greater perspective of his life.

William Hopoate is a professional rugby league player. He plays for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, the number one team in the National Rugby League (NRL). He made headlines in the year 2011 when he turned down a million-dollar contract so that he could serve an LDS mission.

According to Scott Penn, chairman/owner of Manly Sea Eagles, Hopoate would have been the highest paid 19-year old rugby player at that time if he had accepted the contract. Even Hopoate's father John Hopoate was a little disappointed when his son turned down the million-dollar offer, however, he accepted his son's decision, and said that he was happy with Hopoate's decision to serve the LDS mission.

After four years, he has made yet another important decision in his life that actually shows the depth of his faith and his commitment to the LDS Church. Hopoate has decided that he will not play or train on Sundays. This means that he will be missing many games of the NRL season, including the final game if the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs makes it to the final.

This is a pretty incredible story – Bulldog Will Hopoate won't play footy on Sundays due to his Mormon faith. https://t.co/o7gNxU5TJm
— Dave Meddows (@davemeddows) March 26, 2016

Des Hasler, head coach of the team said that he welcomes Hopoate's decision not to play or train on the Sabbath day. He said this is what makes Hopoate such an excellent player and a good human being. “This is what makes him so special.” It is his strong belief that distinguishes him from the rest. Hasler said that the team is “very proud to have such a person within our walls.”

Hopoate said that his decision is not exactly a sacrifice because the blessings that he has received so far in his life from God has been far greater than anything he has given up or anything that he will give up in the future.