Hendre Fourie was forced to call time on his career last week due to on-going problems with a shoulder injury © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

News: Fourie 'not required to leave UK'

News: Fourie facing deportation

News: Fourie forced to hang up boots

Players/Officials: Jaque Fourie

Tournaments/Tours: Aviva Premiership

Teams: England | Sale Sharks | South Africa

England internationals past and present have voiced their support for Hendre Fourie after the former flanker revealed he is facing deportation to South Africa.

The 33-year-old, whose 18-month-old son Hendro was born in England, has been in the country for eight years, playing for Rotherham, Leeds and Sale and winning eight caps for the Red Rose in 2010 and 2011.

However, he was forced to retire last week because of a shoulder injury and consequently had his contract cancelled by the Sharks, meaning his visa is no longer valid.

Upon hearing of Fourie's plight, many of his peers took to Twitter and started a campaign to support him using the hashtags £FourieToStay or £SaveShrek.

Harlequins and England full-back Mike Brown, scrum-half Danny Care, wing Ugo Monye, Gloucester No.8 Ben Morgan, Saracens fly-half Charlie Hodgson, Biarritz wing Iain Balshaw and London Irish's Shane Geraghty were among those to post the messages on their Twitter accounts.

Sale asked club supporters to use the two hashtags through their official Twitter feed, which were posted by Sharks players Danny Cipriani, Cameron Shepherd and Andy Powell, while former Wales No.8 Scott Quinnell also added his support.