Matt Hodgson

Matt Hodgson (born 25 June 1981) is an Australian sports administrator and former professional rugby union player for the Western Force and the Wallabies, the Australian national team. He is currently head of rugby at Global Rapid Rugby which launched its Asia-Pacific Showcase competition in 2019.

2005 – Debut Super Rugby season In 2005, Hodgson was a member of the Australian sevens side that finished seventh in the 2004–05 World Sevens Series. In addition to this, he got his first taste of international rugby, playing for the Australian A side against the Junior All Blacks in Canberra. Furthermore, Hodgson signed with the Western Force, for their inaugural season of Super Rugby. He made his super rugby debut at home, Subiaco Oval, against the Brumbies who were the victors in that match 25–10. At the end of his debut season with the Force, he was awarded the inaugural presentation of the 2006 Force Man award – a recognition given to the player deemed to best represent the club's values in all that they do both on and off the field. This award was again won by Hodgson in 2007, 2009 and in 2010.

2009 – Australia Hodgson enjoyed a break-out season in 2009, earning his first Western Force Player of the Year award and first Wallabies call up. He debuted for Australia in the non-cap earning 55–7 annihilation of the Barbarians at Sydney Football Stadium. A serious AC Joint injury sustained during the 39th minute sidelined Hodgson for 3 months, but he returned for the Spring Tour later that year and performed in the midweek matches against Gloucester and Cardiff Blues.

2010 Super rugby season saw Hodgson awarded his second Player of the Year award in so many years. Hodgson rounded off 2010 with two Man of the Match performances on Wallaby Spring tour against Munster and Leicester.

Hodgson's first test cap was a substitution from the bench in the 49–3 victory against Fiji in Canberra, during the 2010 mid-year rugby union internationals. He also made appearances from the bench in tests against England, New Zealand and Italy during the 2010 season. He earned his first starting position against Samoa in Sydney during the 2011 mid-year rugby union internationals. On that occasion Samoa won 32–23 in a shock victory.

Hodgson was a member of the 2011 World Cup Squad, called up as an injury replacement for Wycliff Palu.

Hodgson was contracted until the end of the 2015 Super Rugby Season with the Western Force. Hodgson is managed by the Fordham Company in Sydney.

Personal life Hodgson is of Aboriginal descent. In 2009, Hodgson graduated with a Bachelor of Exercise Science & Sports Management from Australian Catholic University. In 2011, he completed a Real Estate Sales Agent course.

Super Rugby statistics

Season Team 2006 12 10 2 839 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2007 8 5 3 367 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2008 10 5 5 377 1 0 0 0 5 0 0 2009 13 10 3 886 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2010 13 13 0 1040 1 0 0 0 5 1 0 2011 13 12 1 889 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2012 14 14 0 1013 2 0 0 0 10 1 0 2013 14 12 2 964 2 0 0 0 10 0 0 2014 16 16 0 1268 6 0 0 0 30 1 0 2015 7 7 0 550 3 0 0 0 15 1 0 2016 11 11 0 855 2 0 0 0 10 0 0 2017 9 8 1 573 2 0 1 0 10 0 0Total 140 123 17 9630 19 0 1 0 98 4 0