J'maine Hopgood facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | J'maine Dale Hopgood | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 11 May 1999 Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia |
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| Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 102 kg (16 st 1 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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As of 10 June 2024
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J'maine Dale Hopgood (born 11 May 1999) is an Australian professional rugby league player. He plays as a lock forward for the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League (NRL). Before joining the Eels, he played for the Penrith Panthers.
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Early Life and Junior Rugby
J'maine Hopgood was born in Hervey Bay, Queensland. He started playing rugby league there for the Hervey Bay Seagulls. When he was 16, he moved to Caloundra, Queensland. In Caloundra, he continued playing for the Caloundra Sharks.
Playing Career Highlights
Starting Out in Rugby League
In 2017, J'maine showed great leadership skills. He was the captain of the Penrith's under-18s team, known as the S. G. Ball Cup squad. In the same year, he was chosen to play for the Queensland under-18s representative team. Two years later, in 2019, he also played for the Queensland under-20s team.
NRL Debut with Penrith (2021)
J'maine Hopgood joined the main Penrith NRL squad in 2021. He made his first-grade debut in the NRL on 16 May 2021. This special game was against the Gold Coast during the Magic Round. It was a big moment for J'maine, happening just after his 22nd birthday.
Moving to Parramatta and Success (2022)
On 1 June 2022, J'maine signed a two-year contract to join the Parramatta team. Before moving, he had a very successful year with Penrith's NSW Cup team. He captained them to win the 2022 premiership. They beat Canterbury in the grand final. J'maine was also named the 2022 NSW Cup player of the year for his outstanding performance. On 2 October, he scored two tries and was named man of the match. This was in Penrith's big 44–10 win over Norths Devils in the 2022 NRL State Championship final.
First Season with Parramatta (2023)
In 2023, J'maine represented the Indigenous All Stars team. He made his club debut for Parramatta in the first round of the 2023 NRL season. This game was against Melbourne. In May, J'maine signed a new contract with Parramatta, keeping him with the club until the end of 2025. He scored his first try for Parramatta in round 11. Overall, he played 24 matches for the Eels in his first season.
State of Origin and Injury (2024)
On 27 May 2024, J'maine Hopgood was selected to play for Queensland in the 2024 State of Origin series. This was a huge achievement for him. However, he unfortunately suffered a back injury. This injury meant he could not play in game two for Queensland. On 27 June, it was announced that J'maine would miss the rest of the 2024 NRL season. He needed surgery for his back injury. Despite the injury, on 28 August 2024, J'maine extended his contract with Parramatta. He will stay with the Eels until the end of the 2027 season.
