Forced out: Hendre Fourie
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Former England flanker Hendre Fourie has revealed his disappointment at not being able to stay in Britain after his work visa was cancelled.
South African-born Fourie's contract with Sale was cancelled last week after a shoulder injury forced him to retire. And now that he is not playing professionally, he cannot get a visa to remain in England.
The 33-year-old, has been playing in England for eight years and has a son who was born in the country during that period.
Fourie - who represented England in eight Tests - played for Rotherham and Leeds before moving to Sale last season but only made three appearances for the club due to his shoulder injury.
He admitted there is little choice for him other than to return to South Africa.
"I can play for England but I can't get a passport to stay in the country," Fourie told 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.
"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."
Comments
APV1 says...
@ hellovanite - thank you for your apology about your apology.
I'm sorry, however, that I seem to have hurt your feelings by highlighting your faux pas. How rude of me to do it so publicly and bring shame upon you.
I humbly apologise to all for such a terrible act.
Forgive me, please.
Posted 10:25 14th January 2013
hellovanite says...
I was referring to the part of the Netherlands that the SA Boers come from... Did you buy that?.... No I didn't think you would. I'm struggling now to cover up my faux pas. Ahhh it hurts to be wrong haha
Posted 22:43 11th January 2013
APV1 says...
@ hellovanite - on behalf of my Dutch family, thank you.
You know we find it rude and insulting to refer to the whole country as "Holland", rather than the "Netherlands", don't you..? Unless you're only apologising to the people of that region - which does include my family - in which case, I now owe you an apology for jumping to the wrong conclusion.
Posted 16:08 11th January 2013
hellovanite says...
Are you keeping a dossier on me BokAvenger? Lucky I didn't call that ball grabbing Neanderthal something else... If you are offended so much by me calling him a "dodgy Dutch farmer", how do you think the people of Holland might feel about being comapred with a Yarpie Rock Spider? Look I am sorry that I have offended and in that respect I apologise profusely to the people of Holland.
Posted 04:20 11th January 2013
APV1 says...
@ hellovanite - I agree that he should get citizenship if he wants it too. But he could have thought about it before and put wheels in motion. And rather than spouting off in the media, perhaps he could have checked the options available.
The IRB rules are daft, no doubt. But I think he has been too.
Posted 12:19 10th January 2013
hellovanite says...
bad_robot... Totally correct assessment
Posted 11:07 10th January 2013
hellovanite says...
In reference to the other thread on this topic that did not allow my rebuttal, tisk tisk ed...
"TV addict... Troll you say, only distantly on my mothers side, but thanks for noticing. And stop watching so much TV!
APV1... Yes yes my friend recoil yourself now, no cause for further indignation. I did not know you thought so highly of me. Of course I know there is a difference between playing sport and gaining citizenship. However, this fellow represented England the country, and no less than 8 times, he didn't just come over and play for the Doncaster Knights. All things considered, I would have thought good premise would have to exist for citizenship. Look, I don't know, but it seems to me that patronage of an England rugby shirt should definitely stand one in good stead.
Thought it was a little amusing. I am assuming here that he's not some kind of secret serial killer or menace to society. I certainly feel representing a nation in sport is an honor of the same magnitude as becoming a citizen. So I say give it to him already (not that I actually have a say). If he actually wants to that is..."
Posted 10:58 10th January 2013
ferdie says...
trader2 - that wasn't a good example from me, QC is well-documented as holding neither passport nor residency (he had the opportunity pre 2002 when laws changed, and chose not to) - as with other NZers in Oz, he has no need to, being granted a SC Visa automatically, quite different to this Fourie/England situation.
For eg Harris - while he qualified thru grandparent this is an ARU/IRB not Australia Immigration law - I too have an Australian-born grandparent but that is no fast-track to a passport etc, doesn't work that way.
There must be many players and ex-players now coaching etc who are away from their 'home' country and who are reliant on their work visa. As lawynd states, IRB/RFU have no say in immigration policy.
There must be some,but I can't think of any player being in the news for passing another country's citizenship criteria and becoming permanent resident/citizen there.
Posted 00:33 09th January 2013
trader2 says...
Happy New year everyone.
This seems a bit weird, why did Fourie not have resident status and then having made up his mind that he wanted to stay in England progress through the normal channels before it got to this stage, when you play sport an injury can kill your career at anytime, you need to plan ahead,seems to me he wanted a foot in both camps (possibly to benefit his son - can't blame him for that). Sounds like he got crap advice or maybe he is just not that bright.
Ferdie you are probably not right about QC, I would suspect that he and all the other Kiwi's in the Wallabies have held the sprig of wattle in their right hand and are now bona fide Aussies. (maybe not Mike Harris as he wouldn't have had time to swat up on the difficult questions they ask here - you know the ones like "What sport did Don Bradman play?"
Posted 13:25 08th January 2013
APV1 says...
@ kinsman - grungehammer's mates wouldn't stand a chance. Rock, Paper Scissors is our actual National sport. Probably explains why we struggle at everything else..!
@ new_j4a - citizen you might be, accent is probably ok too. How's the skill-level..?
@ philipjfry & BA - thanks for the reminder. But I didn't defend hellovanite, I remarked on the players' actions. I didn't admonish them either, in fairness. But you cannot claim that one example from April last year counts as, "...South Africans are routinely called yarpies [sic], dodgy dutch farmers and other expletives on this site". One example of one poster responding to BA's usual twaddle. Neither routine, nor other expletives.
@ philipjfry - I'm sorry you find Saffa insulting. All my South African friends refer to themselves as Saffas and that has become routine. What is it that's offensive?
@ pete4monc, JayStarr, leebok, et al - there's no corruption or anything dodgy, it's just the rubbish IRB rules. We all have our opinion on what they should be, but how many of you have sent those to the IRB for consideration? I have sent mine and I'm sure they went into File 13, but at least I sent them.
@ jamesliveinhope - Hear! Hear!
@ lawynd - yep.
Posted 12:38 08th January 2013
ruggabugger says...
Come to Ireland Boet! They take care of the players here and its a much better residency scheme for sportsmen, along with better rugby and over all better beer, women, weather etc :)
Posted 12:28 08th January 2013
KingShark says...
@ rolf - you got a good point regarding the national pride thing being old fashioned and romanticized. I care far more about the sharks than the boks (or is that just playing style?). When you look at the cricket and rugby and realise that nearly half the English team consist of Saffa's, then it starts to feel like a derby match - SA vs SA rejects. No disrespect to the actual English players - I reckon they have some wonderful players that are not given the recognition they deserve.
Posted 10:00 08th January 2013
lawynd says...
I'm not entirely sure where many of you are getting the idea that the IRB or our RFU are responsible for immigration policy and law...do I have to apply to those institutions if I want to come and live in your countries?
Posted 09:57 08th January 2013
Bones7 says...
I do feel sorry for him, he's worked here for years, is actively seeking employment at short notice after having his retirement confirmed, his son was born and raised here and as rolf says, basing someones rights around their economic potential at one moment in time just seems so unfair, especially when in all likelihood he's been paying a fair amount of tax, has been earning a decent wage and probably has enough savings to get him by until he can find other employment. The ruling is obviously in place to stop people hanging around and taking up resources when they are not contributing which in this case is nonsense. I would love to see his son go on to be a Springbok and run riot against England one day!
Posted 09:47 08th January 2013
pierredelot1 says...
Well thanks very much Hendre, you've laid your body on the line, played rugby for the country and now :- On your bike.
British hospitality something we're really good at.
If a guy can only come here on a work permit is that really sufficient that he can then play for the country not in my book, but those are the laws and very convenient laws they are too. It doesn't stop the whole thing being a total disgrace. Smacks of ingratitude and of course no exceptions. Thats the law.
Strange that he a non Brit, can get a work permit, come here, play for this country. Meanwhile, British passport holders, playing within the free labour market of the EU will not be chosen for their country because they don't work here. RFU sort yourselves out. you look after your own (Mr Andrew) but ignore talent and real talent at that, playing across the channel. Funny smell around the place these days.
Posted 08:49 08th January 2013
bloemboy says...
Surely a player has the right to ply his trade wherever he can find a job and be rewarded for his abilities. When his usefulness is exhausted, the employer will replace him, thats business.
This is a different matter though, where a country has selected a player to represent the best that country has to offer on an international stage. If he isnt English, he should not be allowed to play for the country. If England want to attract top talent to their shores, then surely they need to acknowledge that every player that is a representative of that nation.
I fhtis is the case, then you may as well see a transfer market coming in at national level, and that is surely what club / state rugby is for.
Posted 06:04 08th January 2013
BokAvenger says...
@APV1 - here's the link: http://www.planetrugby.co.za/story/0,25883,15993_7715197,00.html
Scroll down and have a look at the comments by Hellovanite where he refers to a Saffa as a `dodgy dutch farmer'. Worse still, YOU defended him yet you now claim to have never seen anything of the sort. Hypocritical much?
Posted 05:55 08th January 2013
rolf says...
1. it is a shame, that a kid born and raised in the UK has no right to stay there with his family, it's his home!
2, The principle of basing people's rights merely on their use for the workforce/market is inhuman and outdated and should be abandonded. That applies to nurses as well as Rugby pros.
3. The current system of elegibilty for national teams in Rugby is ridiculous. Either abandon the old-fashioned idea of "national" teams in total (it is aromantic 19th centuty approach, has nothing to do with the truth of a globalized capitalist world order) or make it clear: you can only play for the country of your citizenship.
PS: i have no clue why Fourie would prefer the UK to SA - except his boys's well being.
Posted 21:25 07th January 2013
jamesliveinhope says...
have no idea of the rules but I see an awful lot of overseas customers who gain "permanent right to reside" after a relatively short period of time.
I suspect that, rather than go through the beaurocratic mire of applying for residency he chose to wait out the 8 years - unfortunately the injury has shafted him in more ways than one. and I'm pretty sure that the IRB doesn't govern international immigration policy.
I do feel for the guy though, despite all of the rubbish posted by one or two of the trolls here, there does appear to be a genuine desire to stay and be British (unlike a certain Mr Hape). The terrorist remark was a little crass though, I would hate to think of someone teaching my kids feeling the need to express that sought of comment.
Posted 20:49 07th January 2013
ShamanSheep says...
@dezz
I think you've strayed onto the wrong message board mate
Posted 20:27 07th January 2013