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The pitfalls of it all..
08:01 AEST Tue Jan 8 2013
Former England international Hendrik Fourie is set to return to his native South Africa because of visa problems.
The 33-year-old has been in England for eight years, playing for northern clubs Rotherham, Leeds and Sale and his 18-month-old son, Hendro, was born in the country.
However, Fourie - capped eight times by England - was forced to retire last week because of a shoulder injury and had his contract cancelled by Premiership strugglers Sale.
That meant his British visa was no longer valid and left him facing the risk of deportation. Rather than have a lengthy battle with immigration authorities, Fourie is now set to head back to South Africa.
"I can play for England but I can't get a passport to stay in the country," he told Monday's edition of The Times.
"If I had remained on a sports people visa for another two years, I would have got residency, but unless someone is willing to give me another contract, that is not going to happen.
"My wife (Corlia) is South African, but my boy was born here and I would like to have stayed here and tried to get a teaching job.
"There were options to appeal but I would have had to wait another few years before I could get my permanent residency," the flanker added.
"It has been a red-tape nightmare and we just decided it was not worth all the hassle.
"That's the amazing thing, I am not able to claim any benefits in this country. I have always paid my taxes, have represented England, but I have to leave while you hear how they protect the rights of terrorists."
© AFP 2013
wow .. yeah that's pretty shit
Chuck Norris has the greatest Poker-Face of all time. He won the 1983 World Series of Poker, despite holding only a Joker, a Get out of Jail Free Monopoly card, a 2 of clubs, 7 of spades and a green #4 card from the game Uno.
That's rubbish he is good enough to represent their country but not be a resident...
Generally speaking you aren’t learning much if your lips are moving!!!
The IRB should be looking to close that loophole. If he is not even a resident (let alone a citizen), he should not be eligible to represent the country. I always assumed the whole point of eligibility by ancestry (parent/grandpartent) or three years residency was to align with citizenship requirements. If not, they should be minimum requirements.