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Quade Cooper has finally become an Australian citizen at a ceremony on Thursday after five years of trying.
The New Zealand-born Wallabies flyhalf has played 75 Test matches for Australia but was refused citizenship four times due to issues over the time he spent outside the country due to rugby playing commitments.
The Australian government changed eligibility rules last year to allow for “distinguished applicants” to get easier access to citizenship.
“After five years, five attempts, 75 Test matches and a lot of help from the community and many people behind the scenes, I can finally say I’m Australian,” Cooper wrote on Twitter.
“To my immigration officer Sarah Lolesio thank (you) for your efforts and countless hours of work. Grateful.”
Previously, Cooper’s touring schedule and stints with overseas clubs had made it impossibly to satisfy the criteria, which required applicants to have lived in Australia for the past four years and not been absent for more than 12 months, or been overseas for greater than 90 days during the application year.
However, immigration minister Alex Hawke implemented the rule change last year, saying: “Exceptional people must not be prevented from becoming Australians because of the unique demands of the very work they do that makes them exceptional.”
‘Exceptional’ certainly describes Cooper, the veteran taking his Wallabies caps to 75 with an outstanding 2021, including a pair of sensational performances in back-to-back upset wins over the Springboks.
Cooper was born in Auckland but moved to Australia at the age of 13. Twenty years on, his wait for citizenship is finally over.
Last September he said the stress of not being able to offically become an Australian was weighing him down.
“This is a place my family and I’ve lived for over 20 years. So to not know if I was going to be able to come back to my home, or come back and see my family, that was quite a daunting feeling when you’re living in Japan. That for me was the main reason of applying for my citizenship.”