Quade Cooper

Quade Cooper sets his sights on Wallabies No. 10 jersey

The 35-year-old is hoping to make a second comeback to the national team after rupturing his Achilles against Argentina last August.

While the playmaker did not want to assume he would receive the nod from coach Eddie Jones when the squad is announced on Sunday, he will relish the opportunity in Pretoria if offered.

“I 100 per cent want to wear the No.10 jersey,” Cooper said on Thursday.

Eddie Jones addresses Quade Cooper's Wallabies future

The incoming Australian coach has five Tests and eight months to figure out his preferred World Cup squad after Dave Rennie was sensationally axed on Monday.

Rennie himself was still tinkering, particularly in the spine, with a 44-man squad in camp last week not including veteran five-eighths James O’Connor or Bernard Foley.

Japan-based Cooper was there on the Gold Coast alongside young Super Rugby Pacific pair Ben Donaldson (Waratahs) and Noah Lolesio (Brumbies).

'I'm not at all worried': Cooper 'enjoying the journey' after Achilles injury

Test veteran Cooper had a tough season in 2022.

The star pivot was ruled out of the Wallabies’ first test of the year against England after he injured his calf in the warm-up.

After a fairly lengthy stint on the sidelines, which ruled him out of the entire series against England, Cooper picked up another injury later in the year against Argentina.

Playing in the No. 10 jersey against Los Pumas in Mendoza, Cooper ruptured his Achilles during the 41-26 win.

Quade Cooper’s international season was over before it really began.

Wallabies star willing to surrender No 10 jersey to James O'Connor or Noah Lolesio

Hodge came off the bench early in the second half after Cooper ruptured his Achilles and says he’s happy to again assume the utility role for Sunday’s (AEST) clash in San Juan, leaving Noah Lolesio or James O’Connor as chief playmaker.

Having played everywhere in the Australian backline apart from halfback, his versatility meant coach Dave Rennie could load up on forwards amongst his reserves to meet the power-packed Pumas.

Quade Cooper's World Cup in doubt after 'devastating' injury update

Cooper went down in the first seven minutes of the second half after attempting one of his trademark goose steps. The 34-year-old immediately fell to the ground clutching his heel and was clearly in agony.

It has been confirmed that he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, a notoriously difficult injury to mend in the context of elite sports.

The injury could mean he doesn’t set foot back onto a rugby pitch until the mid-2023 and leaves the mercurial playmaker in a race against time to prove his fitness ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

Cooper starts as Rennie names Wallabies team for Pumas

In other notable selections by Wallabies coach Dave Rennie for the clash on Sunday (AEST), Quade Cooper takes over the No.10 jumper from Noah Lolesio and Tom Wright wins the vacant fullback spot ahead of Jordan Petaia, who will start on the wing.

Cooper missed the recent England series after injuring his calf during the warm-up for the first Test and his call-up provides a spicy sidebar after his international career was all but ended by Michael Cheika, now coach of the Pumas.

Wallabies veteran Quade Cooper lands Australian citizenship after bizarre five year battle

Auckland-born Cooper took to social media on Thursday to share the news and thank his supporters.

"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," the playmaker posted on Twitter following his official ceremony.

"To my immigration officer Sarah Lolesio thank (you) for your efforts and countless hours of work. Grateful."

Quade Cooper off to winless start in Japan Rugby League One 2022

In the final match of the new competition’s opening round, Kintetsu were outplayed by Mitsubishi in a 25-14 defeat at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo.

This was in spite of the fact the Liners boasted an all-star halves combo comprised of Cooper and his long-time teammate Will Genia, although the Dynaboars weren’t short of firepower themselves.

The hosts had two-time World Cup-winning All Blacks first-five Colin Slade starting at No 10, as well as ex-All Blacks lock Jackson Hemopo on the bench.

Quade Cooper sheds light on NZ-born teammate's struggle after passing Australian citizenship test

Shortly after sitting the test in Japan, where he plays for the Hanazono Kintetsu Liners, Cooper took to social media to reveal he passed but not before shedding light on the plight of former teammate Joe Tomane, who Cooper said was "locked out" of Australia this year and forced to fly to New Zealand.

 

Born in Palmerston North before moving to Australia at a young age, Tomane played for the Melbourne Storm and Gold Coast Titans in the NRL prior to switching codes, where he earned 17 caps for the Wallabies between 2012-2015.

Wallabies' NZ-born star Quade Cooper finally set to become Australian citizen

The New Zealand-born 33-year-old, who has played 75 tests for Australia, had been unhappy that his four previous applications for citizenship had been rejected because of the unique difficulties he faced meeting the requirements as an international sportsman.

Yet after the Australian government changed eligibility rules to ensure "distinguished applicants" like him could be made citizens, Cooper is now taking the test again in Japan where he's currently playing for Hanazono Kintetsu Liners.