Hawkins played loose forward for the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club when he first arrived in the U.S., and helped the team win the 2006 national Super League title.

Hawkins has been quoted as saying that his ultimate goal is to help the USA Men's and Women's Sevens Team reach gold at the Olympic Games.

[citation needed] Hawkins started coaching the Belmont Sevens team with James Walker in 2009 after sustaining a major injury that put him out of playing for many months.

In 2011 Hawkins returned again to just coach the Belmont Shore Sevens team and they went on to win the National Championships for a second time in three years.

On 1 August 2013, USA Rugby announced that Hawkins would take over as head coach of the Men's Sevens National Team, after Alexander Magleby's decision to step down.