Wallaby Quade Cooper may have been dubbed public enemy number one in New Zealand, but he has several fans in the Kaikohe bowls club. Photo / Getty Images
Wallaby Quade Cooper may have been dubbed public enemy number one in New Zealand, but he has several fans in the Kaikohe bowls club. Photo / Getty Images
He's thanked them for their support during the Rugby World Cup - but Quade Cooper's Kaikohe fanbase will switch allegiances when he takes the field against on Sunday.
Wallaby first five Cooper has sent his thanks to the town, home of his grandmother Millie Cooper, but the Northland community willstill be backing the All Blacks when they play Australia.
Dubbed public enemy No1 in New Zealand, Cooper is constantly booed by Kiwi fans, especially when he kicks conversions.
Despite the verbal abuse, he said good luck messages had come from Tokoroa to Northland.
"She [his grandmother] sends me a lot of text messages that all her friends from her local bowls club are right behind me, so that gives you a very heart-warming boost of confidence."
Mrs Cooper, who will support the Wallabies on Sunday, still lives at the tidy Kaikohe home where Quade spent much of his childhood.
Pictures of the whanau are everywhere, but pride of place in Mrs Cooper's living room is an action photo of her grandson in the yellow jersey, about to offload.
On the opposite wall is a photo of Quade and teammates with the Queen, taken a few years ago at Buckingham Palace.
"He's a good boy. I suppose all grandmothers say that," she said.
"May the best team win. If the Wallabies don't win, it's not the end of the world. It's just another game.
"I just want people bad-mouthing him to leave him alone ... that's all out of jealousy to him."
Kaikohe Bowling Club president Dion Davis said the bowlers supported Mrs Cooper and her grandson but would remain loyal to the ABs.
