'This is home': Devastated Wallabies star Quade Cooper opens up on having his Australian citizenship rejected FOUR times despite playing for the country 70 times
Former Wallaby Quade Cooper has revealed he feels 'disheartened' after being denied Australian citizenship due to red tape four times since 2015.
Cooper, 33, felt the process would be a formality after the fly-half donned the iconic yellow jersey in 70 Tests from 2008-2017.
'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 wouldn't be too hard a process, he told the ABC's 7.30 program on Tuesday night.
'When you are standing in the stadium, the anthem is going and you look out into the crowd and you see all the support...it's hard not to feel Australian.'
The stumbling block for Cooper, who was born in New Zealand but settled with his family in Brisbane from the age of 13 - has been the volume of time he has spent overseas — including playing in Japan for the past two seasons.
Former Wallabies star Quade Cooper has seen his application for Australian citizenship denied four times by authorities
Former rugby union star Quade Cooper (pictured left) has called out the Australian government for refusing his application for citizenship
A Department of Home Affairs spokesperson confirmed successful applicants must have been based in Australia for the past four years.
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 home,' he said.
'I come home here every time I leave the country — this is where I come, this is where I earnt a living most of my career, this is where I have a home — the memories I've been able to create. This is home.'
Exemptions can be granted, but another roadblock has presented itself. Incredibly, international rugby union isn't deemed an activity which 'benefits' Australia.
When quizzed on the issue, Home Affairs minister Peter Dutton said 'you would want to see' Cooper as an Australian citizen - before pointing to the legislative requirements in place.
Last week, Cooper publicly criticised the Australian government for refusing his application for citizenship.
Taking to Twitter, Cooper, 33, detailed the 'awkward moment' his citizenship application was denied.
With the screenshot of his rejection, Cooper wrote: 'Awkward moment @ausgov refuse your citizenship application . 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.'
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
Cooper represented the Wallabies across all parts of the globe from 2008-2017, including two World Cup campaigns.
Paperwork dramas and Cooper seem to go hand in hand.
He was brutally dumped from the Aussie Olympic sevens team in 2016 for the Games in Brazil because he wasn't deemed a citizen.
Last April, Cooper split from bikini model Laura Dundović after five years together.
The couple began dating in 2014 after meeting through a mutual friend.
Cooper also was a talking point in 2020 when he revealed how a radical 'carnivore diet' left him in the best physical shape of his career.
His meal plan of bone broth, rib-eye steaks and oysters had given him more energy and the muscular physique he needs to play a contact sport at the elite level.
'It does seem strange to a lot of people because what we are told is normal — 'eat vegetables otherwise you can't digest your food' - I've had no problems whatsoever,' Cooper said at the time.
He added he felt gassy and bloated eating more greens and before the diet was already phasing out vegetables before transitioning to the 'carnivore diet'.
Cooper is currently on the books of Japanese outfit Kintetsu Liners.
Quade Cooper represented the Wallabies in 70 Tests - yet had has his application for Australian citizenship again denied