'Game-changer': New diet behind Quade Cooper's crazy physique

Wallabies great Quade Cooper may not be involved in competitive sport right now, but that hasn't stopped him looking in career-best shape.

Photos have emerged on social media of the former Wallabies star looking absolutely ripped and the 70-Test veteran has now explained the secret behind his extraordinary physique.

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Cooper says converting to the carnivore diet has been a "game-changer" for him and judging by the photographic evidence it's hard to argue.

The 32-year-old has joined fellow footy stars Sonny Bill Williams and Tevita Pangai Jnr in essentially cutting out vegetables, fruit and carbohydrates, to focus on a bulk diet of meat and seafood.

Cooper says where his old vegetable-heavy diet left him lean but more injury-prone, the new regime has left him feeling fitter and stronger.

“I’ve been on the carnivore diet for eight months, before that I wasn’t a full vegan but I was trying to eat healthy like that, trying to stay low on my meat and eat more veggies, no dairy, Cooper told the Daily Telegraph.

“But I felt like I got quite lean but also soft in my muscles. Although I was training really hard, anytime I’d take contact I’d find I was getting hurt.

“Now I’ve combined this diet with pre-hab, looking after my body before I get on the field, before I leave the house, that has been a game-changer.

Cooper explains that his routine includes daily meditation and stretching sessions, which compliment his diet.

The former Queensland Reds and Melbourne Rebels star says he has only had fruit or vegetables "maybe four times in the last three months" and only then on a "cheat day".

“The only fruit I’ll have, if I need a snack, is blueberries with double cream, which is like a keto meal, low in sugar.

“The diet is none to low sugar, and very high in fat and protein.”

The Aussie rugby great says of all the diets he's tried in his professional sporting career, the carnivore diet feels like the best fit for contact sport.

“I feel like I’ve got a lot more energy, I feel a lot stronger, my muscles are a lot more dense and hard, and I’ve been able to keep my weight on, so I’ve been able to put on weight but lose fat which is ideal for a collision sport,” he said.

Rugby legend’s flick pass prowess goes viral

Cooper has been back in Australia after playing in his second season with Japanese second tier rugby side, Kintetsu Liners.

The Queensland Reds legend has been seen doing a bit of training with Broncos star Pangai Junior, fuelling rumours of a potential switch to the NRL.

He's also been wowing footy fans with footage of some of his extraordinary flick passes, with one recent video going viral in Ammerica.

Amateur footage showed Cooper standing with an NFL football in hand, gesturing as if he's going to throw it in the traditional manner of a quarterback.

His target is standing a good twenty to thirty metres away so it was always going to take a decent throw for Cooper to hit him.

After a couple of pump-fakes, Cooper spins and quickly flicks the ball around his back instead.

Slow motion video shows the perfect torpedo-like spin on the ball as the pass hits its long-range target perfectly on the chest.

American site Bleacher Report shared the clip to its social media accounts, where it's since been viewed more than one million times.