Quade Cooper

[matelot22]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/300357359/quade-cooper-gets-a-doubledown-no-over-his-bid-to-be-australian-citizen?fbclid=IwAR1qs1A6uthLSwQvFRDBVQ5mLZckkTCW8YpjYW1eD3oGAzDr5dIftxE30ZU

Pretty shocking that they were happy enough for him to represent their country, but won't grant him citizenship. Really makes a mockery of the residency rules IMO.

Also, can't believe he's only 33, seems to have been around a long, long time.

[InBetweenWasp]

Just read this.  Bonkers isn't it.  Disliked in NZ, not wanted in Oz. 

Difficult to see what the real underlying issues are.  It seems like he has a bit of 'Cips' about him; a gifted, natural rugby athlete but sees the game in a different way to Coaches and Players and creates friction.  You could perhaps add James O'Connor to that list as well.

Didn't realise he had 70 caps either (with 50 of them starts - by comparison, James O'Connor is 55 Caps/44 Starts), considering he hasn't played internationally since 2017, that's quite a lot.  If he'd continued you'd be looking at 110-120 caps by now.

[matelot22]

Just read this.  Bonkers isn't it.  Disliked in NZ, not wanted in Oz. 

Difficult to see what the real underlying issues are.  It seems like he has a bit of 'Cips' about him; a gifted, natural rugby athlete but sees the game in a different way to Coaches and Players and creates friction.  You could perhaps add James O'Connor to that list as well.

Similar to Cips in many ways I'd agree, but how can they apply such a double standard? Okay to play for us, but no citizenship, beggars belief for me.

[MarleyWasp]

In theory, a government wouldn't have any influence over who plays for their country's Rugby team as national eligibility is ultimately down to World Rugby eligibility criteria, which is how Cooper qualified for Australia. It was only when he tried to represent Australia in the Olympics at sevens which was when his lack of Aussie citizenship prohibited him from playing.

I do recall the South African government blocking Tendai Mtawarira from playing for South Africa in 2010's June tests as he was a Zimbabwean Citizen, not a South African citizen, but they quickly rushed through his application.

[matelot22]

In theory, a government wouldn't have any influence over who plays for their country's Rugby team as national eligibility is ultimately down to World Rugby eligibility criteria, which is how Cooper qualified for Australia. It was only when he tried to represent Australia in the Olympics at sevens which was when his lack of Aussie citizenship prohibited him from playing.

I do recall the South African government blocking Tendai Mtawarira from playing for South Africa in 2010's June tests as he was a Zimbabwean Citizen, not a South African citizen, but they quickly rushed through his application.

Yeah, I get that, but I still think that if their government didn't seek to prevent him playing, they shouldn't refuse him a passport when he has been of service to their country.

[Skippy]

$5 rather than £5. Or perhaps $9.30 on an exchange rate basis.

[JonnyD]

This is really ridiculous, I assume that through all of this time he has been allowed to stay in Aus because he was under 18 or employed now he is coming back from Japan and looking to the future it is a problem.
I like the system in Aus for immigration But this seems strange

[Marlow Nick]

I agree it's poor play by the Oz government but I'd prefer it if world rugby (and all sports generally) changed the rules so you had to be a passport holder (and no dual nationalities)  before qualifying to represent a country. It always feels strange to see someone represent one country whilst holding a passport for another.

[MarleyWasp]

I think passports would be a good way to prevent the eligibility scandal of 2018. It was ironic that Russia benefitted from that as when they were disqualified from the 2003 RWC for picking three South Africans who had no Russian relatives at all, the President of the Russian Union tried to argue half way through the hearing that they must have Russian blood as they could each down a bottle of vodka within 5 minutes and offered to pop out to the nearest off licence to get three bottles so they could prove it.

[DGP Wasp]

I think passports would be a good way to prevent the eligibility scandal of 2018. It was ironic that Russia benefitted from that as when they were disqualified from the 2003 RWC for picking three South Africans who had no Russian relatives at all, the President of the Russian Union tried to argue half way through the hearing that they must have Russian blood as they could each down a bottle of vodka within 5 minutes and offered to pop out to the nearest off licence to get three bottles so they could prove it.

God help the English if this kind of ability to conform to national drinking stereotypes is ever used as a measure of national allegiance!

[Trevs Big Tackle]

I agree it's poor play by the Oz government but I'd prefer it if world rugby (and all sports generally) changed the rules so you had to be a passport holder (and no dual nationalities)  before qualifying to represent a country. It always feels strange to see someone represent one country whilst holding a passport for another.

Not sure how the passport eligibility would work. How many of the England team have English passports? None of them.

Banning dual nationalities is a bad idea too. Someone born, bred, raised in England could easily have a second passport inherited from a foreign-born parent. There's nothing wrong with that so why should it stop someone playing internationals?

[Marlow Nick]

Not sure how the passport eligibility would work. How many of the England team have English passports? None of them.

Banning dual nationalities is a bad idea too. Someone born, bred, raised in England could easily have a second passport inherited from a foreign-born parent. There's nothing wrong with that so why should it stop someone playing internationals?

In my old fashioned opinion internationals should be the pinnacle of  career not only to play at the highest level but also the honour of representing YOUR country. I struggle with South Africans who qualify for Scotland and the BRITISH & IRISH Lions but don't have British or Irish passports.