He has shed blood in the name of the iconic Wallabies gold jersey for 13 years, but Quade Cooper had never officially been an Australian.
He has been bloodied and bruised in the name of the iconic Wallabies gold jersey for 13 years, but Quade Cooper had never officially been an Australian.
Until now.
The Auckland-born fly-half on Friday updated fans on social media to reveal he took the test to officially become an Australian following changes to citizenship rules announced by the federal government earlier this year.
In mid-September, just days after Cooper made his triumphant return for the Wallabies in the Rugby Championship, the Australian government announced it had relaxed the criteria for the “most talented prospective Australians” applying to become citizens.
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Cooper has taken advantage of the changes and on Friday night announced he has now been cleared to take up his Australian citizenship after passing the test.
“Crazy day today, not going to lie,” he captioned a photo showing him arm in arm with former Wallaby and NRL player Joe Tomane.
“I was super nervous as there were some difficult questions on the citizenship test and I felt that if I failed, everyone’s efforts may have been for nothing.
“ But in truth, the law change itself is the victory.”
However, he has also criticised the updated laws and the existing immigration policy that has resulted in Tomane being locked out of Australia.
“My brother and @Wallabies team mate @joetomane was locked out of the country he’s lived in since 9 months of age and forced to fly and quarantine in NZ earlier this year because he also didn’t fit the criteria of what it took to be identified as Australian, despite standing side-by-side in the Green and Gold,” he posted on Instagram.
“Hopefully he will be the next person to benefit from this law change and be able to fly home to his family and friends soon.”
Cooper had earlier posted about his nerves before taking the test.
“Weird feeling but it probably wouldn’t have happened with out your support,” he expressed to fans.
“Thank you to everyone who pushed for people like myself to be eligible to officially call Australia home. Forever grateful.
“Not going to lie I was super nervous as there was some difficult questions and it felt like if I failed that everyone’s efforts to help would have been for nothing. Then I realised that the law change had provided myself and many others this opportunity and that is the victory.”
Becoming an Australian citizen would cap off a remarkable year for Cooper, who had a number of previous citizenship applications denied.
Lured back for the Rugby Championship after more than four years in the Test wilderness, the 33-year-old was instrumental in Australia’s five-game winning streak.
His first game back was perhaps his most memorable. Cooper kicked seven penalty goals — including one after the siren — to seal a shock two-point win for Australia against world champions South Africa.
With the Kintetsu Liners’ pre-season approaching, Cooper opted to stay behind in Japan when the Wallabies travelled to the United Kingdom for the final leg of their spring tour.
He finished the stint with five wins and no losses to his name and was replaced at fly-half by James O’Connor.
In Cooper’s absence, Dave Rennie’s men lost to Scotland, England and Wales, bringing the curtain down on the Wallabies’ year in disappointing fashion.
— with NCA NewsWire