Former ACT Brumbies back Jordan Jackson-Hope eyes Super Rugby return

The former ACT Brumby is back in Canberra to continue his rehabilitation on a knee injury despite the immediate future of the Sunwolves seemingly in dire straits.

Rugby Australia officials are working on a domestic competition including the four Australian Super Rugby clubs and the Western Force to fill the void left by the suspension of Super Rugby.

But the Sunwolves have told their squad to continue training in the hope they can return to action at some stage this year before their window in the competition is officially shut.

So the 23-year-old concedes there is little more to do than prepare as if he will play again this year before setting his sights on a new contract for 2021.

"I would like to return to Super Rugby in Australia, but with everything that's going on they've paused everything. It's all up in the air and out of my control at the moment," Jackson-Hope said.

"I've just got to focus on what I can do, and make sure I am fit and ready to play when the time comes. If that's not until next year or whenever it is, I'll just focus on that.

"At the moment they've just told us we've all got to keep up with our training like the rest of the competition is.

"All of the boys at other clubs have stopped coming into their headquarters and are just training by themselves, so we're just the same as everyone else.

"We're just waiting to hear what the next process is to be honest. No one really knows what the next step is at this stage, we're just following what the Australian government has got in place until it settles down, then decisions will start being made."

Jackson-Hope tore a tendon in his knee against the Queensland Reds earlier this season and was sent back to Japan the following day to begin his rehabilitation.

But over the course of about two weeks the COVID-19 outbreak began to gain momentum and Sunwolves officials "made a decision to get everyone out of Japan".

His rehabilitation has begun to prove a little more difficult after indoor sporting venues and gyms were forced to shut their doors as the Australian government ramps up its efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus.

So he has managed to scavenge some weights from the Tuggeranong Vikings' gym to set up a home gym while getting in some track work on a nearby field.

"Weird is a good way to describe it," Jackson-Hope said.

"I've been in Canberra for about two weeks just continuing my rehab, training and trying to keep healthy really. I'm on standby waiting for the call to see what's happening next.

"I try not to think about it too much and work on the things I can control. This break has been good for me in a sense because it gives me a chance for my body to recover from a few niggles I've had.

"I'm pretty motivated about that. I probably wouldn't be playing if the competition was on at the moment anyway, so I'm just trying to get my body right and doing my rehab.

"Then if the call comes to say we're back in action in a month or whatever it is, I'll be ready. I'm still motivated by that."