As a Pro Rugby Player, He Was 'Mocked and Ridiculed' for His Love of Reading. Why He Decided to Take the 'Leap' to BookTok (Exclusive)
As a Pro Rugby Player, He Was 'Mocked and Ridiculed' for His Love of Reading. Why He Decided to Take the 'Leap' to BookTok (Exclusive)
Luke ChinmanFri, June 26, 2026 at 8:00 PM UTC
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Luke BatemanCredit: Luke Bateman/Instagram -
Before his career as a BookTok creator, Luke Bateman was a professional rugby player
When he started sharing his love of reading online, he tells PEOPLE, he was full of fear
“I had no idea what I was doing in the beginning, and still don't,” he says, “but I'm glad I took the leap”
Luke Bateman has a bit of an unconventional background for a BookTok creator.
The 31-year-old originally hails from Miles, a rural town in Queensland, Australia. Before his viral love of reading and before his hundreds of thousands of followers, he was a rugby star. Beginning in 2015, Bateman played for the Canberra Raiders — hanging up his cleats in 2019 after sustaining a serious knee injury during his fifth season with the team.
Several years later, in 2023, his life took another surprising turn: He joined the cast of The Bachelors Australia as one of three leads, searching for love among two dozen women. But it wasn't until 2025 that he launched the social media presence that nearly a million followers across Instagram and TikTok know and love.
He joined BookTok — the sect of TikTok dedicated to discussing and reviewing books.
Luke BatemanCredit: Luke Bateman/Instagram
“Initially, it was very simply so that I could have book friends,” he tells PEOPLE. “I had spent my entire life being very secretive about my love of books, and I finally became confident enough to share it with others.”
On his platform, he shares his favorite reads, always with his characteristic charming smile. And out of everything from the last year of posting, he says he's most surprised that “people want to listen.”
Bateman's love of books began with his mom: His earliest memories of reading are with his mom, who would gather him and his siblings every night for story time in her bed.
“Once I learnt how to read, my very first book was a Pokémon graphic novel,” he continues. “This cemented my love of reading and stories.”
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Still, he had a lot of fear when taking the leap into BookTok content creation last year, especially given his earlier athletic career.
“I was incredibly scared to begin creating book content,” admits Bateman. “Coming from a rugby background, reading — especially fantasy and romance — was always mocked and ridiculed. The reason I posted my first video on TikTok was because I didn't want to do it on Instagram as that's where all the footy boys were, and I knew I would receive a shaming response from them.”
Regardless, people took an interest in his recommendations, so he kept going.
Luke BatemanCredit: Luke Bateman/Instagram
“I had no idea what I was doing in the beginning, and still don't,” he says, “but I'm glad I took the leap.”
In addition to being a content creator, pro rugby player and reality TV star, Bateman is set to add author to his resume when he releases his debut novel in early 2027. The book, he describes, is a “crossover fantasy,” including elements of epic and YA.
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“It's a coming-of-age story and follows the journey of a teenage boy who discovers his magic in a world where his magic is outlawed,” he teases. “I really tried to inject the nostalgia and joy that I felt as a boy reading fantasy novels — a sense of awe, wonder and imagination on every page, while being deeply emotional and connected to the story.”
Adds Bateman: “That is the feeling I hope readers experience while turning its pages.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
