danny cipriani signs for melbourne rebels.

Wasps confirm Danny Cipriani will move to Melbourne at end of season

Wasps have confirmed that Danny Cipriani will leave the club at the end of the season to join the newly-formed Australian club Melbourne Rebels. The England fly-half has agreed terms with the fledgling Super 15 outfit, ending speculation about his immediate playing future.

"Leaving Wasps is very hard – this is my home, I have played here since I was 15," said the 22-year-old. "It is a very special Club because of what it has achieved and the people who are a part of it. I see this move as the next step in my career and would never rule out coming back to play in England.

"I believe in the coaches and the players here and it will be very difficult to leave, but the decision has been made easier by having the support of Tony [Hanks, the director of rugby], and Shaun [Edwards, the head coach].

Cipriani added: "Moving to Australia will be a new challenge. I have always admired the Super 14 as a tournament and the first team I ever followed was Wellington. I used to wake up and watch Christian Cullen and it was something I had always thought about. I think the opportunity of playing in a completely different tournament against different players at this time in my career will help me develop on and off the field."

Cipriani is expected to earn less in Melbourne than he was being offered at Wasps and has indicated that the decision to move down under has been partly motivated by his inability to currently get back into the England team. He current has seven caps at Test level.

"I have been given no indication that I am pushing for a place with England at the moment so it is up to me to ensure I am in contention in the future by challenging myself in new realms," he said. "I am still young enough to go away and experience something completely different. I want to be the best player I can be and this is a huge challenge and opportunity to test myself, on and off the pitch, because it will be changing everything I know."

A return to Wasps down the line for Cipriani has already been discussed and is something welcomed by club officials.

"Obviously we are disappointed that Danny is leaving, especially as he has worked hard on a return to form on the back of a couple of nasty injuries," said Hanks. "However, knowing his reasons are based on rugby and personal development, we as a club support his decision.

"Working with him for the last few weeks around this decision, we have looked at it more as a Wasp going on a sabbatical and, whilst nothing is guaranteed, Danny has expressed a desire to return to the Club later down the line."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010...lbourne-rebels

he'll become a better flyhalf in this comp.

First Signing.. and a reasonably good one... nice Work Melbourne

just confirmed on sky news uk. Cipriani signs on a two year deal......
Posted via Mobile Device

A pretty handy first up signing, though he's no Canno :)

New Super rugby franchise Melbourne Rebels sign England's Danny Cipriani

By Foxsports staff writers - with AAP
February 19, 2010 .

Melbourne Rebels have landed a major recuit ahead of their entry into next year's expanded Super 15, securing the services of promising England fly half Danny Cipriani.

The Telegraph reported Cipriani had agreed to terms with the fledgling Super rugby side despite a warning from England manager Martin Johnson earlier this month that he would not be considered for the national team.

Cipriani's English club, Wasps, released a statement saying the 22-year-old was leaving "with the club's understanding and support''.

But it appears Cipriani, who made his debut for England in 2008 and has played seven Tests, has almost certainly killed off his hopes of playing in the 2011 World Cup.

"I have been given no indication that I am pushing for a place with England at the moment so it is up to me to ensure I am in contention in the future by challenging myself in new realms,'' Cipriani said in a statement.

"I have some of the best coaches and players in the game around me at Wasps, which is why it has been so hard to make my decision, but I am still young enough to go away and experience something completely different.

"I want to be the best player I can be and this is a huge challenge and opportunity to test myself, on and off the pitch, because it will be changing everything I know.''

Cipriani is considered one of England's brightest young prospects, but has failed to make headway under Johnson.

He also becomes the Rebels' biggest signing to date, (???Only?) ahead of their debut season in next year's expanded 15-team competition, and may also be an indication that rumoured fly half targets Berrick Barnes and Matt Giteau won't be pursued.

On the move to Australia, Cipriani said: "I have always admired the Super 14 as a tournament, and the first team I ever followed was Wellington.

"I used to wake up and watch Christian Cullen (former Wellington and New Zealand full-back) and it was something I had always thought about.

"I think the opportunity of playing in a completely different tournament against different players at this time in my career will help me develop on and off the field."
(Could well be a key sentence for potential future players to all teams)

force couldn't get him to the end of the season could they??? Perth Glory have done similar with a striker Daniel McBreen who has signed for them for about two months from a opposition side in the A - League even though he is signed for yet another side for next season??? Worth a shot isnt it???

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BaldCunus

force couldn't get him to the end of the season could they??? Perth Glory have done similar with a striker Daniel McBreen who has signed for them for about two months from a opposition side in the A - League even though he is signed for yet another side for next season??? Worth a shot isnt it???

---

He's still under contract to wasps, until the end of the nh. Season......
Posted via Mobile Device

Melbourne Rebels off to flyer as Danny Cipriani signs on

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1225832385729

THE Melbourne Rebels have waited six weeks to secure their first player but it was worth it after mercurial England five-eighth Danny Cipriani yesterday agreed to a two-year deal with the new Super 15 rugby franchise.

Even though the Rebels have struggled to recruit players, they did not have to persuade Cipriani to come on board. Rather the 22-year-old convinced Melbourne coach Rod Macqueen that he wants to move to Australia to make a fresh start in an injury-hit career that has gone slightly astray in recent years.

It is understood Macqueen initially was not interested in the Wasps star, who has attracted far more publicity in the UK than his modest tally of seven Test caps would warrant.

Much of that stems from the fact that he was linked to The Cheeky Girls singer Monica Irimia before starting a relationship in late 2008 with model and television presenter Kelly Brook.

Two days before his hugely anticipated Test debut against Scotland in March 2008, he was axed from the England squad for "inappropriate behaviour", which is believed to have related to a late-night visit to a nightclub.

The following week, however, he was recalled for his first cap against Ireland, turning in an outstanding performance both in general play and as a goalkicker.

Macqueen, who has made it his first priority at the Rebels to create a healthy culture from the outset, had been inclined to strike "the human headline" off his recruitment list until Cipriani rang him personally and convinced him that he is not the playboy portrayed in the London tabloids.

The Rebels coach also had stipulated he was not interested in recruiting rugby mercenaries and it is understood Cipriani has dispelled all rumours that he is coming for the money by agreeing to an incentives-based contract in which the sign-on fee is significantly less than the £172,000 ($297,000) Wasps were offering him to stay.

The two factors believed to have most heavily swayed Cipriani's decision were the opportunity to play under Macqueen, the Wallabies' 1999 World Cup-winning coach, and the chance to experience the Australian lifestyle.

Although he has not played for England since November 2008 - dumped after a number of defensive lapses in the 42-6 and 28-14 losses to the Springboks and Wallabies - Cipriani was named in The Guardian this week as one of four players applying pressure to Jonny Wilkinson for the England number 10 jersey.

He had, after all, played well at five-eighth and fullback in the England Saxons team that defeated Italy A in Treviso last weekend, while Wilkinson laboured to ignite his backline in England's boring Six Nations win over the Azzurri in Rome.

Ironically, had Cipriani not signed with the Rebels, he might well have come to Australia this year regardless.

England coach Martin Johnson had been seeking assurances from the all-rounder - who in his younger days played junior football for Queens Park Rangers and was offered a Surrey contract as a batsman - that he was interested in playing again for his country before considering Cipriani for the two-Test tour of Australia in June.

The two-year contract would rule him out of next year's World Cup in New Zealand but he still would be only 24 when and if he returned to England for the 2012-13 season.

Although it makes sense that the Rebels would announce a playmaker as their historic first signing, Cipriani might well find himself playing at fullback for Melbourne when it enters the expanded southern hemisphere Super rugby tournament next year.

It has been a bad week for Wasps who also have lost star England winger Paul Sackey to wealthy French club Toulon.

*The Australian understands the ARU has made a formal offer to Mark Gasnier. The former rugby league international, currently playing with Stade Francais in French rugby union, has been linked with the Queensland Reds as well as the Melbourne Rebels.

However, both clubs are relying on the ARU to make the deal more lucrative. Gasnier's contract at Stade Francais ends in May.



World Cup Winning Coach Rob Macqueen is a huge draw card for these guys... Cipriani is a great start...

Damian Hill was just interviewed on Foxsports News. Apparently Habana and Burger have stated that they are interested in going to Melbourne as well. Hopefully closely followed by Elsom, Brussouw, Juan Smith and Ryan Kankowski. Then they won't need any of our trio.

Big signing from a NH point of view. He was/is the golden haired boy of English rugby.

Look out the women of Melbourne.

Cipriani is a great signing, he has the potential to be a real pin-up boy for the Melbourne franchise.