A ‘hurt’ Quade Cooper has opened up on his controversial decision to withdraw from the Wallabies spring tour and participate in his Japanese club team’s preseason instead.
The veteran five-eighth was one of Australia’s best sport stories this year as he came out of the international wilderness to lead the Wallabies to five straight wins and a world ranking of No.3.
But the fairytale has sadly ended as Cooper joined fellow Japanese club players Samu Kerevi and Sean McMahon in pulling out of the three-Test tour of the United Kingdom.
Watch the first match of the All Blacks’ Spring Tour, Wales vs New Zealand, streaming ad free, live and on demand on Sunday from 3.05am AEDT on Stan Sport. Start your seven day free trial here!
The trio were named in Dave Rennie’s squad and the Wallabies are allowed to invoke World Rugby’s regulation nine which forces clubs to release players for Test duty during international windows.
But coach Rennie said the players asked the Wallabies not to play the regulation nine card after Rugby Australia had multiple discussions with their clubs.
“I wouldn’t have been able to admit being hurt in the past so this was hard for me to do but feels great to be able to be honest and vulnerable,” Cooper wrote on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/QuadeCooper/status/1453649385338724360?s=20
“My growth as a man is being able to admit I’m hurt. It hurts that I won’t be on tour to Europe with my teammates, especially after experiencing so much growth and overcoming challenges each week.
“I’m hurt that I couldn’t please everyone and keep both my employer and country happy.
“But although I am hurting now, the happiness I feel from my journey to this point far outweighs the hurt.
READ MORE: Stan Sport lands rights to spring tour Test matches
READ MORE: Quade bombshell forces Wallabies into big backflip
READ MORE: Former NRL star makes shock switch back to rugby
“I am so thankful to everyone, from my club Kintetsu Liners for allowing me to play for Australia again to Renz and the Wallabies staff for inviting me in to what proved to be an incredible atmosphere and for all your efforts the past few months but most of all to my teammates and brothers.
“We challenge each other to be better each day and as a result we saw enormous growth as both men and as athletes. Thank you for making the last few months possible.
“This journey has no finish line and my efforts to continue to walk this path will not change. What’s meant to be will be.”
The Wallabies have recalled youngster Noah Lolesio to their squad after Cooper’s withdrawal was exacerbated by a serious pectoral injury to utility back Reece Hodge.
Rennie was naturally disappointed with Cooper’s decision but had a degree of sympathy towards the predicament the players found themselves in.
“He’s a good man,” Rennie said.
“He’s contributed massively on and off the field. He’s torn. He wants to be here, he wants to be a Wallaby but he feels loyalty towards his club so in the end he’s made a decision that he feels is the right one, that’s best for him.
“So we’ve accepted that and moved on… that’s his primary employer isn’t it?
“Ideally we want guys who are desperate to be Wallabies and I know Quade says he is.
“But he’s torn and I think if he had the support of the club, the blessing of the club, he’d come. But he hasn’t.”
