Labor senator Kristina Keneally has called on the Australian government to approve Wallabies star Quade Cooper‘s citizenship application after he was rejected four times.
The 33-year-old has represented Australia in rugby union 84 times, donning the Wallabies jersey 70 times, yet in the eyes of the federal government he hasn’t done enough to gain citizenship – with the athlete facing multiple rejections since 2015.
Cooper was born in New Zealand but moved across the ditch to Brisbane when he was 13. He represented Australia in the Australian Schoolboys and the Under 20s after his arrival.
Last week, Cooper publicly criticised the Australian government for refusing his application for citizenship.
Days later he was recalled into the Wallabies squad which he joined at the Australian camp in Queensland on Sunday, and is a chance to play against the All Blacks inhe Bledisloe Cup next month.
Labor senator Kristina Keneally has called on the Australian government to approve Wallabies star Quade Cooper’s citizenship application after he was rejected four times
Keneally said it was time Cooper was able to call Australia home after living in the country for more than two decades
Taking to Twitter, he detailed the ‘awkward moment’ his citizenship application was denied.
With the screenshot of his rejection, Cooper wrote: ‘Awkward moment @ausgov refuse your citizenship application (again). Wearing the green and gold 70 times apparently is not enough these days…’
A formal response from the Home Affairs department stated Cooper failed to engage in ‘activities of benefit to Australia’ or ‘any work requiring frequent travel outside of the country’.
Ms Keneally has since spoken out and urged the government to review Cooper’s citizenship status.
‘His citizenship application has been rejected on four occasions by the Morrison Government, despite the fact that he has proudly called Australia home for two decades, and will now re-join the Wallabies squad for the upcoming Bledisloe Cup series against the All Blacks in August,’ she said.
‘I have reached out to Mr Cooper to offer whatever help I can so that he can finally, and officially, call Australia home.’
Speaking to the ABC’s 7.30 program last week, the rugby union superstar revealed the constant setbacks were ‘disheartening’.
Quade Cooper (pictured) represented the Wallabies in 70 Tests – yet had has his application for Australian citizenship again denied
Former rugby union star Quade Cooper (pictured left with ex-girlfriend) has called out the Australian government for refusing his application for citizenship
‘You can call me naïve, but when you’ve been out representing your country on the world stage…you just expect when the time comes it (citizenship) wouldn’t be too hard a process,’ he said.
‘When you are standing in the stadium, the (national) anthem is going and you look out into the crowd and you see all the support…it’s hard not to feel Australian.’
Another roadblock for Cooper has been the volume of time he has spent overseas – including playing in Japan for the past two seasons.
A Department of Home Affairs spokesperson confirmed successful applicants must have been based in Australia for the past four years.
A frustrated Cooper took to Twitter, outlining his application was rejected after failing to engage in ‘activities of benefit to Australia’ or ‘any work requiring frequent travel outside of the country’ – he played 70 Tests for the Wallabies from 2008-2017
A bemused Cooper also included the bizarre response from the Department of Home Affairs in his tweet on Tuesday after submitting his form
They also cannot be absent from the country for more than ’12 months in total in the four-year period, including no more than 90 days in total in the 12-month period prior to application’.
The rugby union star’s citizenship papers are not being rubber stamped because he has chosen to earn a living playing professional rugby abroad at the twilight of his career.
Cooper believes after giving his all to Australian Rugby at the peak of his career, he has earnt that right.
‘I think it would be a nice thing to officially call this (Australia) home,’ he said.
‘I come home here every time I leave the country — this is where I come, this is where I earned a living most of my career, this is where I have a home — the memories I’ve been able to create. This is home.’
Cooper represented the Wallabies across all parts of the globe from 2008-2017, including two World Cup campaigns.
He was brutally dumped from the Aussie Olympic sevens team in 2016 for the Games in Brazil because he wasn’t deemed a citizen.
Cooper is currently on the books of Japanese outfit Kintetsu Liners.
Recently he was called back up for the Wallabies squad to take on the All Blacks in the Bledisloe Cup opener after a four year hiatus from the team.
Cooper was also brutally dumped from the Aussie Olympic sevens team in 2016 for the Games in Brazil because he wasn’t deemed a citizen