1
Cooper set to become Australian citizen after win over Springboks
By Alex McLeod
Wallabies playmaker Quade Cooper is finally set to become an Australian citizen following his match-winning heroics against the Springboks on Sunday.
Cooper completed a fairytale return to international rugby after a four-year hiatus as he guided the Wallabies to an upset win over the world champion Springboks on the Gold Coast two days ago.
It took an injury time penalty goal from Cooper, who knocked over 23 points from the kicking tee, to secure the 28-26 victory at Cbus Super Stadium as the Wallabies kept their faint Rugby Championship hopes alive.
In the wake of his stunning test rugby comeback, numerous calls were made on social media for Cooper to become an Australian citizen after it was revealed in July that he was denied citizenship by the Australian Government for the fourth time in six years.
The New Zealand-born first-five took to Twitter two months ago to share a letter he received from Australia's Department of Home Affairs that notified him of rejected application to attain an Australian passport.
As outlined by 'Shannon', an employee of the Department of Home Affairs who penned the letter, Cooper had not provided evidence that he is a “persons engaging in activities of benefit to Australia”, nor is he a “persons engaged in particular kinds of work requiring regular travel outside of Australia”.
This was in spite of the fact that Cooper, who was born in Auckland and raised in Tokoroa before moving to Brisbane as a 13-year-old, had, at the time, played 70 tests for the Wallabies and represented Australia at two World Cups.
Throughout his test career, the mercurial pivot had played, and continues to play, for the Wallabies while holding a New Zealand passport, which presented issues in his quest to represent Australia in rugby sevens at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Under International Olympic Committee guidelines, players can only represent a country of which they hold citizenship in.
Cooper labelled his most recently rejected citizenship application as "awkward" and told ABC in July that he was "disheartened" by the result as reports suggested that successful applicants must have been based in Australia for the past four years.
Since 2019, Cooper has been based out of Japan as he has been playing club rugby for the Hanazono Kintetsu Liners, which had made him ineligible to be granted citizenship.
However, according to a report from the Sydney Morning Herald, it appears the 33-year-old could finally become an Australian citizen due to a change in immigration policy in light of his performance against the Springboks.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that, after deputy Labor Senate leader Kristina Keneally reignited calls for Cooper to become an Australian citizen, Alex Hawke, the Minister for Immigration, is set to announce a slight tweak in policy to allow individuals in Cooper's position to be granted citizenship.
That tweak will allow individuals who meet all the requirements to become an Australian citizen except for the residency requirements because of travel for work to now be eligible for citizenship.
Cooper's bid to become an Australian citizen has been backed by federal government MP Jason Falinski, who revealed that Cooper's long-time halves partner and Kintetsu Liners teammate Will Genia has also been battling to gain citizenship.
Genia - who has played alongside Cooper for the Wallabies, Queensland Reds, Melbourne Rebels and now at the Kintetsu Liners since 2007 - was born in Papua New Guinea and moved to Brisbane at the age of 12.
“The unique work and travel demands on some of our most highly distinguished prospective Australians should not preclude them from making the cut,” Hawke said in a statement, via the Sydney Morning Herald.
“That’s why I have directed the Department of Home Affairs to apply greater flexibility in applying the residence requirement for eligible people.
“Exceptional people must not be prevented from becoming Australians because of the unique demands of the very work they do that makes them exceptional.”
Listen to the latest episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod below:
Trending on RugbyPass
2
South Africa vs England player ratings | 2024 Autumn Nations Series
3
All Blacks player ratings vs France
4
Netherlands serve up Tier 2 shock as another World Cup side slayed
5
Latest Comments
At least he no longer writes articles related to the All Blacks. The suggestion with these ratings is that the ABs have a lot more left in the tank... Which is nonsense, this was a nail biter of a test of the highest standard and both sides we're going at it hammer and tongs. As is often the case in rugby, the team that managed to score the most tries won.
Go to commentsWho, the ABs? Oh for sure, they punched above their weight in that cup, but also had got a lot better than anyone had thought they could (except perhaps SAn's) well out from the WC (to the point where you were disappointed not to win it). Then they've probably done the most post analyzing of their RWCs in the past, due to all their failures, they knew how to maximize their itinerary and that first game against France was of less importance than any one off test was against. At least a test like this weekends had meaning, even if it's not surrounded by any overarching point. That first match in the RWC though, along with the Ireland v SA game, were totally meaningless. Everyone already knew they were only going to be up against each other, and that's why NZ were only at around 70% during it.
So you're quite right, it was pointless to make as much out of it as this author did. The same pretty much goes for 2 years prior as well, because that's obviously before the above happened. NZ were at least trying very hard in that game, and although it needed some Ntamack magic at the end, France looked pretty comfortable, or should I say, NZ very poor. That picture obviously turned around this year, but still with that fabulous French flair scoring some crazy tries to win it again.
Go to comments