2LT National News
Seventy-cap Wallaby Quade Cooper denied Australian citizenship
Jul 14, 2021
Bemused rugby star Quade Cooper has had his application for Australian citizenship denied despite playing 70 times for the Wallabies, a decision he called “awkward”.
The mercurial flyhalf was born in New Zealand but moved to Australia with his family as a 13-year-old and has never represented the nation of his birth.
He posted a screenshot of the decision on his Twitter feed late on Tuesday.
“Awkward moment @ausgov refuse your citizenship application (again). Wearing the green and gold 70 times apparently is not enough these days…” wrote Cooper, who played for Australia at two World Cups.
The reason given by Canberra officials was that he had not provided sufficient evidence to satisfy their requirements.
Those included being and .
Cooper, who met the visa requirements as a permanent resident to play for the Wallabies, added: “If I had have known it would be this hard!”
The 33-year-old playmaker, who earned his last cap for Australia in 2017, spent 12 years with the Queensland Reds and also had stints with the Melbourne Rebels, Toulon in France and Japanese side Kintetsu Liners.
He also flirted with a boxing career, fighting three bouts and winning them all.
