Matt Cooper’s – Former St George Illawarra Dragons star Matt Cooper is set to appear on Channel Seven’s Aussie First Dates, opening up about life after his marriage breakdown and his hopes of finding love again. The promotional clip shows an awkward start for the blind date,
Matt Cooper knew the search for love wouldn’t be simple after a blind date on TV began with a cheek kiss that immediately went wrong.
More than two decades after he was first crowned rugby league’s sexiest player. the former St George Illawarra Dragons star is heading into a new season of Channel Seven’s Aussie First Dates. The 47-year-old. a former NSW and Kangaroos representative. is set to talk openly about life after the breakdown of his marriage—and what he’s looking for now that he’s back in the dating world.
But before any deeper conversation, the promotional clip leans straight into discomfort. Cooper is shown trying to give his date a kiss on the cheek, only for her to pull away slightly. “That wasn’t awkward, sorry,” she says, laughing off the exchange. Even in the moment, it’s clear neither side is fully at ease.
The awkwardness doesn’t end there. At the restaurant, the bartender tries to turn the situation into an icebreaker by asking to take a photo—yet both Cooper and his date stare back in silence, looking distinctly unimpressed by the suggestion.
When the bartender also reveals Cooper’s famous past, the mood turns even more tense. He tells his date the former NRL star was voted the sexiest player in rugby league. “Were you?” Cooper’s date asks in disbelief. “Twice,” Cooper replies, prompting laughter across the table.
Earlier footage gives the contrast of a new look. Cooper debuts a shaved undercut with a long, braided ponytail that gives him a Viking-inspired appearance—an image that matches the spectacle of TV dating, even as he tries to find something real.
Cooper’s own words point to exactly what he’s searching for. He says he spent 21 years with his former wife and describes how being single for more than two years has felt different. “It has been good being single for a bit over two years now. but I think everyone needs someone. you know. in their life. That’s a cool feeling, you know?”.
He and his former wife share two daughters, and Cooper admits he wants someone to love him for being “just the dad” above everything else. His biggest concern, he says, is not whether someone is attracted to the public version of Matt Cooper—but whether they’re genuinely interested in him.
“The reason I’m single at the moment is because I feel like I don’t know what the girl’s intentions are. ” he says. “Are they in the relationship because they actually like me as a person?. Not Matt Cooper the footy player. not Matt Cooper the person who has been on TV – you know. Matt Cooper. just the dad.”.
Honesty is central to what he wants next. “So what I am looking for in a partner would be someone who is honest, is themselves, don’t put on a persona just because you sit next to me,” Cooper says.
He also shares preferences when he talks about what he likes, saying: “I like brunettes, nice eyes, pretty face.”
Cooper’s football resume is part of why he still draws attention. He retired from the NRL in 2013 after a decorated career with the Dragons, including the club’s 2010 premiership triumph. He represented NSW in 13 State of Origin matches and played seven Tests for Australia.
His television appearances have been another chapter. After his playing career ended. he became a familiar face through reality shows including Dancing With the Stars. Celebrity Apprentice and Big Brother VIP. His return to the spotlight now comes after he and his wife Dallas amicably separated following more than 20 years together.
The “Sexiest Man of League” title remains a recurring part of his public identity, even though Cooper says he never wanted it to define him. He first won the award as a shy 21-year-old in 2001, then claimed it again later in his career.
In a 2009 interview, Cooper made his position clear: “I don’t want to be known for all this modelling stuff. I want to be known for my footy.”
The blind date clip offers a glimpse of how quickly those two worlds can collide—football celebrity and personal search—before even the first real connection is formed.
Matt Cooper Aussie First Dates Channel Seven NRL St George Illawarra Dragons NSW Kangaroos Dallas Cooper sexiest man of league State of Origin Australia Tests reality TV blind date
A cheek kiss on tv is like instant cringe, you can’t win that.
Why are they always making it look so forced like the bartender is just PR’ing him? If you gotta say you were voted “sexiest” twice… seems kinda like a red flag? Idk.
Wait so he’s divorced and the show just starts with a kiss fail and then a bartender asks for a photo?? That’s not really “ice breaking,” that’s just awkward surveillance lol. Also the shaved undercut and braid sounds like he’s trying to look like a Viking for the cameras.
They’re acting like a cheek kiss is the reason it’s awkward but I feel like the whole “sexiest player” thing would make me uncomfortable immediately. Like who says that to a stranger, twice? I swear these shows are scripted, bc the date pulled away exactly when the clip wanted her to. Also wasn’t he on some other show already like a year ago?