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London - Former England international Hendre Fourie and his family are facing deportation because his visa expired with his decision to retire last week.
The South African-born Sale Sharks flank, capped eight times during an
injury-plagued career, was forced to announce his retirement following
an unsuccessful recovery from a third operation on a chronic shoulder
injury.
According to the ESPNScrum website, the 33-year-old, who initially moved to England in 2005, had hoped to embark on a new career as a teacher, but has now been told he must leave the country by the end of the month.
"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 permanent 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 have like to have stayed 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.
Fourie was born in Burgersdorp in the Eastern Cape.
