Saracens sign fly-half Will Hooley after leaving Bedford Blues
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Saracens have announced the arrival of fly-half Will Hooley.
The USA international has moved to Allianz Park on a two-year contract, The Rugby Paper understands.
Hooley follows Callum Hunter-Hill in signing permanently for Saracens ahead of their relegation to the Championship for 2020-21.
Capped 15 times as an Eagle, Hooley brings considerable knowledge of the second tier to Mark McCall’s side having played for Bedford Blues since 2017.
Hooley announced earlier this month he would be leaving Goldington Road and with Saracens now confirmed as his destination, the 26-year-old shared his thoughts on his new club.
“It was such an easy decision for me to make the move to Saracens,” said Hooley.
“Everything the club has built over the years, both on and off the field, is something to be admired.
“Ultimately, I wanted to test myself and challenge myself and I’ll do that around some of the best players in the world, some of the best youngsters.
“I’ve been craving to get back to that elite, everyday environment and Sarries is probably one of the best in Europe, probably one of the best in the world, so overall for my career this is a great move.
“It’s an honour to be here and I’m thoroughly looking forward to it.”
Hooley, who can also play full-back, began his career at Moseley before making the step up with Northampton Saints and Exeter Chiefs.
While at Sandy Park, his first cap for the USA came against Canada in 2018.
A move into the second tier did not hinder Hooley’s international prospects, playing in the USA’s historic 30-29 win over Scotland – the Eagles’ first win over a Tier 1 nation – and the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Director of Rugby Mark McCall added: ““We are excited to welcome Will to the Saracens family.
“He will bring a wealth of experience having played in the Premiership, more recently in the Championship and at a World Cup.
“Will is ambitious to move his game forward and we look forward to helping him do that at the club.”
