Born in London, Hopley attended Street Benedict"s School in Ealing where he represented first his school in rugby and Harrow School. He was nicknamed the "vicar of rugby", having studied theology at the University of Street Andrews and Cambridge University and holds a Master of Theology degree.
His position of choice was on the wing or in the centres. Hopley continued playing rugby for his university side. He spent his entire playing career with London Wasps before retiring at only 26 due to injuries just months after the sport turned professional.
He was a member of the successful England sevens team that won the Melrose Cup in the inaugural Institutional Review Board 1993 Rugby World Cup Sevens at Murrayfield. He won 3 caps for England and retired in 1998 after injuries forced him to retire at the age of 27. Hopley is the founder and chief executive of the not-for-profit registered trade union Rugby Players" Association (RPA), launched in August 1998, as the representative body and collective voice of professional rugby union players in England.
