John Hopoate (born 16 January 1974 in Tonga) is a former professional rugby league player and boxer who was involved in sport controversies and subsequently convicted for violent crimes.

After his form and try scoring feats during the 1995 season, Hopoate was called up to his first senior representative match for New South Wales in Game 1 of the 1995 State of Origin series.

Over the remaining rounds of the 1995 ARL season Hopoate went on to score 21 tries, finishing second in the top try-scoring table to teammate Steve Menzies.

He scored another six tries for the season including four in one game against the South Sydney Rabbitohs, and ultimately helped his Manly team to their first premiership in eight years.

In 2001, Hopoate began the season poorly, scoring only one try in several games, before involvement in incidents of inserting his fingers into the anuses of three players which led to him being suspended for 12 weeks and agreeing to part ways with the Tigers club.

With the reinstatement of the Sea Eagles for the beginning of the 2003 season, Hopoate was re-signed to the club where he made his debut ten years earlier.

In a 2005 game against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Hopoate attempted a reckless shoulder charge, making contact to the head of forward Keith Galloway with his elbow.

He made a final statement on the Sea Eagles website thanking his fans and supporters, and apologising to his wife Brenda and eight children.

[9] Hopoate claimed, in front of the panel of judges, that he was just trying to give all three players a wedgie with his fingers, denying he had done anything wrong and that he was "a great believer in what happens on the field should stay there".

[10] The three victims in the case, Cowboys players Glenn Morrison, Peter Jones and Paul Bowman, all disagreed with Hopoate's reasoning.

While leaving the field at the conclusion of a match, Hopoate started a heated argument with a touch judge in which he verbally abused the official.

[17] On 9 December 2005, Hopoate was banned from NRL rugby league for 12 months after threatening a junior official at a local match.

In a social media post, Hopoate wrote "I'm Back, NRL asked if we can withdraw our court proceedings cause they don't have jurisdiction over SG Ball, so I can coach this week cheeho!"

[21] On 24 July 2018, Hopoate was charged by the NSWRL for punching opposition players while playing for the Narraweena Hawks against Forestville in a local A grade match.

Hopoate courted controversy as he wore a rubber glove on one hand during a match against Newcastle, referencing his 12-week suspension in 2001 for sticking his finger into the anus of opposition players.

[26] With the termination of his Sea Eagles contract effectively bringing to an end his days of playing rugby league, Hopoate announced that he would begin training in an attempt to undertake a career in professional boxing.

Instead, he followed up against New Zealand fighter Alex Mene on 4 August, whom he defeated with a somewhat controversial fourth round technical knockout after the referee called a halt to the bout.

Hopoate's third fight was against Ipswich Brothers and former Gold Coast Seagulls rugby league prop forward Anthony Fowler.

The pair had previously fought during an under-17 representative match 15 years earlier, but Fowler found little opportunity to trade blows with Hopoate as he was left motionless on the canvas after just 34 seconds of his only professional boxing appearance.

Hopoate then moved to a 6–0 record by dispatching the heavy-hitting Richard "Tootin'" Tutaki with a series of second round body-blows on 7 March 2007 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, again on an Anthony Mundine undercard.

Lovemore N'dou, the IBF junior welterweight champion, said after watching the bout that Hopoate is an embarrassment to the sport of boxing, and that he was disgusted with what he saw.

As part of his scathing criticism of Hopoate, as well as Willie Mason's older brother Les, N'dou said: "Footballers like them thinking they can box turns what is a scientific and artistic sport into a circus.

[31] On 13 April 2007, Hopoate suffered his second straight loss, inflicted by former national kickboxing champion, Ben Edwards, who was making his professional boxing debut.

However, following his earlier criticism, Lovemore N'dou has commented that Hopoate needs to "learn to fight properly", as well as the more inflammatory "Hoppa should stop putting his finger up other guys anuses "; however, has now offered to help him out at no charge.

[33] The Sydney fighter finished defending champion Bob Mirovic deep into the ninth round of an epic bout at the Gold Coast convention centre.

[35] On 20 December 2018, Hopoate agreed to return to the ring to fight Cronulla player Paul Gallen with the match being scheduled for 9 February 2019.

[37] In December 2010, Hopoate was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray following an incident at the Trademark Hotel in Kings Cross, New South Wales, where he worked.