Rugby Championship: Quade Cooper set to end quest for Australian citizenship days after beating Springboks

Wallabies player Quade Cooper looks on after kicking a penalty on full time to give Australia a victory over South Africa. Photosport

It's interesting what a match-winning kick can do.

Wallabies match-winner Quade Cooper kicked his side to victory on Sunday with a last minute penalty against the Springboks.

Cooper, who hadn't played a test since 2017, was faultless with his boot, kicking 23 of Australia's 28 points to defeat the World Champions.

Now it appears his six-year quest to get Australian citizenship will finally end.

In July, Cooper opened up about feeling "disheartened" after being denied Australian citizenship four times since 2015.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that today Australian Minister for Immigration Alex Hawke will announce a policy change that will allow people in Cooper's position to be granted Australian citizenship.

The 33-year-old was born in New Zealand but moved to Australia when he was 13.

Cooper took to Twitter earlier this year to express his frustration at getting his latest application denied and included the Australian Home Affairs department's formal response.

"Awkward moment @ausgov refuse your citizenship applications (again) … wearing the green and gold 70 times apparently is not enough these days … Cheers Shannon," Cooper tweeted.

Awkward moment @ausgov refuse your citizenship applications (again)🥺😂 wearing the green and gold 70 times apparently is not enough these days.. 🤔
Cheers Shannon pic.twitter.com/jMSa1moWsA

— Quade Cooper (@QuadeCooper) July 13, 2021

"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 to it (citizenship) wouldn't be too hard a process," he told the ABC in July.

"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."

In a strange set of circumstances, Cooper was deemed not to have provided sufficient evidence for satisfying the special residence requirements.

According to reports, successful applicants must have been based in Australia for the past four years.

The Wallabies celebrate after Quade Cooper kicked the winning penalty. Photo / Getty

That includes not being 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".

Cooper's citizenship papers were reportedly not approved because he chose to play professional rugby abroad, including playing in Japan for the past two seasons.

The same issue affects Cooper's former Wallabies teammate Will Genia who was born in Papua New Guinea and has also been rejected Australian citizenship. Genia, who played 110 tests for the Wallabies, plays in Japan for the Kintetsu Liners.