Quade Cooper facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Quade Cooper

Cooper representing Brisbane City in the National Rugby Championship, October 2014
Full name	Quade Santini Cooper
Date of birth	(1988-04-05) 5 April 1988 (age 37)
Place of birth	Auckland, New Zealand
Height	186 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	92 kg (203 lb; 14 st 7 lb)
School	Anglican Church Grammar School
Notable relative(s)	Sean Maitland (cousin)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half, Fullback Current team Hanazono Liners Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2018 Souths 11 (57) Correct as of 16 July 2022 Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2006–2015, 2017 Reds 119 (846) 2007 East Coast Aces 8 (5) 2014–2018 Brisbane City 16 (142) 2015–2016 Toulon 15 (10) 2019 Rebels 16 (116) 2019– Hanazono Liners 23 (172) Correct as of 16 July 2022 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2005–2006 Australia Schoolboys 9 (0) 2008 Australia U20 5 (46) 2008– Australia 79 (208) 2017 Barbarian F.C. 1 (8) Correct as of 16 July 2022 National sevens team(s) Years Team Comps 2016 Australia 2 Correct as of 16 July 2022

Quade Santini Cooper (born 5 April 1988) is a professional rugby union player. He also sometimes works as a boxer. Even though he was born in New Zealand, he plays rugby for Australia on the international stage. He currently plays for Hanazono Liners in Japan. He used to play for the Queensland Reds and the Melbourne Rebels in the Super Rugby competition in Australia. His favorite position to play is fly-half.

Early Life and School

Quade Santini Cooper was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on April 5, 1988. He has three sisters and two brothers. When he was one year old, Cooper moved to Tokoroa. He was raised there by his mother and step-father. He went to Forest View High School.

In 2001, at 13 years old, Cooper moved to Brisbane, Australia. In Brisbane, he attended Rochedale State High School and Springwood State High School. Later, he received a scholarship to Anglican Church Grammar School. He was a star player for their main rugby union team from 2005 to 2006. In 2005, his team shared the Queensland GPS Premiership title.

Cooper played in all age-group rugby teams in Waikato, New Zealand. In 2005, he toured the United Kingdom with the Australian Schoolboys. He played as a five-eighth or fullback. He joined the team again in 2006, playing a total of nine games. This was a record for schoolboy rugby at the time.

Rugby Union Career

Starting His Professional Journey

Cooper joined a special program for talented young players. He signed with the Queensland Reds for the 2007 Super 14 season. At 18, Cooper played his first game for the Reds. This was in Round 2 against the Crusaders in Christchurch. The Reds had a tough season, finishing last.

In 2008, there were rumors that New Zealand rugby teams wanted to sign Cooper. They even thought he might switch to rugby league. But Cooper stayed with the Reds. He helped his team win a big game against the Bulls. He made a great play that led to a try, helping his team get an extra point.

Playing for Australia's Under-20 Team

Cooper was chosen for the Australian national under-20 team in 2008. They played in the first-ever 2008 IRB Junior World Championships. Cooper did very well, scoring many conversions. Australia had the youngest team in the tournament.

After playing for the under-20 team, Cooper was picked for the main Australia squad. He made his international debut against Italy in 2008. He came on as a substitute and scored a try late in the game. This helped Australia win. He played two more games as a substitute.

Becoming a Key Player

In 2009, other rugby teams tried to sign Cooper, but he chose to stay with Australia and the Reds. He played in all 13 games for the Reds in the 2009 Super 14 season. He scored four tries, which was one of the highest on his team.

Cooper got his first start for Australia in 2009. He played as a second five-eighth against Italy. He then started all four games on the Grand Slam tour. He received praise for his strong performance.

Super Rugby Champions and World Cup

Cooper playing for Australia in 2011

In 2010, Cooper was given a yellow card during a game against South Africa. This meant he was suspended for two games against New Zealand. He returned to play against South Africa again. He also played in the final Tri-Nations game.

In 2011, the Queensland Reds won the first-ever Super Rugby title. Cooper was a very important player for them, kicking most of their goals. He also played in all of Australia's Tri-Nations games. When another player was suspended, Cooper took over the kicking duties. He helped Australia win the Tri-Nations title in a close game.

Cooper was chosen for the Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand. He played in almost all of Australia's matches. He started every game at fly-half. In the third-place playoff game, Cooper helped set up the first try. However, he got a serious knee injury (ACL) during this game. This injury kept him out of the start of the 2012 season.

In 2012, Cooper signed a new three-year deal with the Reds. He returned to play in Round 13 of the 2012 Super Rugby season. Later, he was suspended for one week due to a high tackle. This meant he missed a playoff game. In December 2012, Cooper extended his contract with the Australian Rugby Union.

International Comeback and Playing Abroad

In 2013, Cooper played in all of the Reds' Super Rugby games. After a new coach took over the Wallabies, Cooper returned to the Australian team. He played in the 2013 Rugby Championship. He started as fly-half for the rest of the championship.

In a game against the All Blacks in October, Cooper had an amazing performance. He kicked six goals, made a drop goal, and helped set up a try. He was also named vice-captain for a test match against England.

In 2014, Cooper broke the record for most points scored for the Queensland Reds. He got his 100th Super Rugby game for the Reds in May. However, he was injured later that month and missed the rest of the season. He had surgery on his shoulder and hip. After recovering, he was named in the Wallabies squad again.

Cooper was chosen for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. But unlike in 2011, he only played in one game. Another player, Bernard Foley, was chosen as the main fly-half. In 2015, Cooper was rumored to be joining a French team called Toulon. He later confirmed he would play for Toulon for the 2015–16 season. He joined other Australian players at the French club.

Rugby Sevens and Return to Reds

Cooper playing for Australia in 2017

Cooper joined the Australian Rugby Sevens team to prepare for the 2016 Olympic Games. He scored his first try for Australia in Sevens in March 2016. However, he was later removed from the team in May 2016. Cooper said this was because he did not have an Australian passport at the time. To play in the Olympics, you must be a citizen of the country you represent.

Cooper returned to the Queensland Reds for the 2017 Super Rugby season. He played 12 games and scored 74 points. He was chosen for the Wallabies squad for June tests. These games were his last for Australia until 2021. He was not chosen for the 2017 Spring Tour. Instead, he captained the Barbarians FC team.

In late 2017, it was reported that Cooper was no longer part of the Reds' plans. The new coach told him he was the fifth-choice fly-half. Cooper spent most of 2018 playing club rugby for Souths.

In 2018, Cooper was named in the squad for the NRC team Brisbane City. He later signed with the Melbourne Rebels.

Melbourne Rebels and Japan

In October 2018, Cooper signed a one-year contract with the Melbourne Rebels. His team had a strong start to the season. Cooper's Rebels team managed to beat the Queensland Reds twice.

Cooper was not chosen for the Wallabies squad for the test season. He then joined Kintetsu Liners in Japan for the 2019–20 season. In 2020, Kintetsu and the Rebels made a partnership agreement. This left the door open for Cooper to return to Super Rugby.

In 2021, Cooper was called back into the Wallabies squad. This was due to Australia's travel rules and other players' form. On July 25, it was officially announced that Cooper was back in the team. In a game against the Springboks, Cooper was chosen to start at fly-half. This was his first game for Australia in over four years. Cooper scored 23 points in that game, including a winning penalty goal. He helped Australia beat the Springboks 28-26.

Boxing Career

Cooper also has a boxing career. He boxed on the same event as his friend Sonny Bill Williams in February 2013. He fought as a cruiserweight. He won his first fight by knockout in the first round.

In January 2014, Cooper fought Warren Tresidder. Tresidder had many years of fighting experience. Cooper won the fight in the fourth round. In January 2015, Cooper was supposed to fight again, but he had to pull out.

Possible Change to Rugby League

Cooper grew up playing rugby league. He almost joined the NRL's Melbourne Storm in 2008. In 2010, there were rumors that Cooper was thinking about switching to rugby league. He was reportedly offered a lot of money to play for the Parramatta Eels. This would have meant he could not play for the Wallabies. However, Cooper decided to stay in rugby union. He said he wanted to continue playing for the Reds and for Australia in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Personal Life

Cooper is the cousin of Scotland international rugby player Sean Maitland. He is also the cousin of Cheyenne Campbell.

Australian Citizenship

In May 2016, Cooper said he was removed from the Australian Sevens team for the Olympics. This was because he was not an Australian citizen. He had been using a New Zealand passport while playing for Australia.

In July 2021, Cooper shared that he still could not become an Australian citizen. He had lived in Australia since he was 13. On September 14, 2021, after Cooper rejoined the Wallabies and helped them win a game, the Australian Immigration Minister made an announcement. He said that it would be easier for "highly distinguished" people to get citizenship. Cooper later passed the Australian citizenship test in December 2021. He officially became an Australian citizen on February 24, 2022.

Awards and Recognitions

• 2005 Australian Schoolboys national rugby union team tour
• 2006 Australian Schoolboys national rugby union team tour
• 2007 Australia national under-19 rugby union team
• 2007 Queensland Reds rugby union team début
• 2008 Australia national rugby union team début
• Awards: 2010 Investec Bank Super 14 Australian player of the series.
• Australia's Greatest Athlete (season 3): series winner
• 2011 Super Rugby Champion
• 2011 Tri Nations Champion

See also

In Spanish: Quade Cooper para niños