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Australia captain Nick Malouf retires from sevens after third Olympics
By Finn Morton
Australia captain and three-time Olympian Nick Malouf has called time on his illustrious rugby sevens career. Malouf has announced his immediate retirement after Australia’s valiant run to the bronze medal match at last month’s Paris Olympic Games.
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Malouf was invited into the Australian men’s sevens program in 2012 after originally starting his rugby journey as a flanker with the University of Queensland. The Aussie debuted on the now-called SVNS Series in Dubai and went on to become a regular in the team’s touring squad.
Everything seemed to be tracking well for Malouf until disaster struck. After three years as a mainstay of the national squad, the now 31-year-old was struck down with a devastating ACL injury in 2015.
But Malouf bounced back. The Queenslander went to the Olympics for the first time at the 2016 Games in Rio, with Australia reaching the quarter-finals. Malouf then spent a season with Leicester Tigers in England before returning to sevens.
Malouf captained Australia at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, with the Aussies suffering another heartbreaking quarter-final exit. But the following season, the skipper led the team to their first time in Log Angeles.
Last month, Malouf captained Australia at another Olympic Games. The proven leader is part of an exclusive club around the rugby sevens world, with a small number of athletes having played the seven-a-side sport at all three Olympics to date.
“I could never have believed I’d be so lucky to enjoy the last 12 years playing the game I love in the company of such great people,” Malouf said in a statement.
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“There are so many things that I will treasure from my time playing rugby.
“Thank you to the coaches who believed in me, gave me an opportunity and helped to guide me.
“Thank you to the fans who create such an incredible atmosphere.
“To my teammates, you’re the ones who made my career as special as it was.
“Rugby has given me so much and I am so thankful. What a privilege it’s been.”
It’s just unfortunate how Malouf’s decorated sevens career had to end. In the bronze medal match at the Olympics last month, the skipper was sent off for a high shot during the heartbreaking loss to South Africa.
While Australia rallied after losing their skipper, with Dietrich Roache coming within a successful conversion of probably securing the team’s spot on the Olympic podium, the South Africans had just a little bit more left in the tank.
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South Africa won 26-19.
Australia had been undefeated before the third and final day of play after initially going four-from-four after their pool stage fixtures and the quarter-final. But after losing to Fiji 31-7 in the semis and then South Africa in the battle for bronze, they left the Olympics without a medal.
But that doesn’t take away from the sevens legend Malouf was in Aussie gold.
Malouf retires after 61 SVNS Series tournaments. During those events all around the world, the Aussie crossed for 82 tries and finished with more than 400 career points.
“Nick has been an amazing leader and contributor to the sevens program,” coach John Manenti added.
“For years he’s driven this group and is the most successful Australian men’s sevens captain in terms of World Series wins, tournament wins and Olympic performances.
“But most of all he’s a great man and we wish him every success in the business world.”
