Danny Cipriani
Encyclopedia
Daniel Jerome Cipriani is an English rugby union
footballer. He plays fly-half, centre and fullback. He has played for London Wasps
and England
. He's currently playing his first season of Super Rugby as a member of the inaugural Melbourne Rebels
squad.
. Cipriani's father, Jay, and his mother, Anne, separated soon after his birth. Although Jay returned to Trinidad and Tobago
, Cipriani was able to remain in contact with him. He lived with his mother on the Lockyer Estate in Putney
. In order to afford a better life for him, his mother learnt The Knowledge so that she could drive a London Taxi. She was able to afford to send him to the Wimbledon College Prep school, Donhead
.
Spotted as a rugby talent at Donhead, he was offered a scholarship
and advised to move to the Junior House of The Oratory School
near Reading
to continue his development. He later moved to Whitgift School
in Croydon
after Common Entrance
. A keen all-round sportsman, Cipriani played junior football for Queens Park Rangers
and was offered youth terms by Reading
. He also played schoolboy cricket
for Berkshire
and Oxfordshire
. He was invited to join Surrey County Cricket Club
as a batsman
. He also played squash
at county level. He first played club rugby at Rosslyn Park
in Roehampton
, where he developed his passion for the game.
Monica Irimia. In September 2008 he began dating model and occasional TV presenter Kelly Brook
. Although Cipriani and Brook ended their 22-month relationship in June, 2010, they reunited later in the year to spend Christmas Day together in the Maldives.
In June 2011, Cipriani was romantically linked to Australian model Lara Bingle
.
Their relationship became public in July after photos and a interview were published in an Australian magazine publication.
aged 17 in December 2004 in the Powergen Cup. Cipriani joined the London Wasps Academy full time in the 2006/7 season. He initially played for London Wasps
U21 team and London Wasps
A team before making more regular appearances for the first team in 2007.
After Alex King
left Wasps in the summer of 2007, the fly-half position at the club became vacant, and, after playing in a series of positions for Wasps in the early games of the 2007/08 season Cipriani played two games in a at fly-half, against Gloucester and Munster, London Wasps winning both.
He is quicker over 69 metres than Paul Sackey
and this story was confirmed by their sprinting coach.
On 6 October 2008 Cipriani was involved in a bust-up with club and international team-mate Josh Lewsey
in a training ground fight.
Cipriani was left nursing a bloody nose and cut lip following the incident at Wasps’ training ground. The spat started after Lewsey accused Cipriani of missing several tackles during a full-contact session.
but was unable to complete the tournament due to a head injury.
Cipriani was part of the Saxons' side that won the Churchill Cup
at Twickenham in 2007. He just missed out on selection for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
for England, despite spending the summer in their training camp. He was called up to the England
squad for the 2008 Six Nations Championship
. Many experts were calling for Cipriani to be picked at full-back to ease him into the international arena, a position he played successfully with the London Wasps
upon breaking into the first team. His starting debut for England was due to be realised when he was picked at full-back for the game against Scotland
on 8 March 2008.
However, two days before Cipriani was to make his full England
debut, he was axed from the squad due to "inappropriate behaviour". Cipriani was photographed leaving a London nightclub at 12.30am.
He started the match against Ireland
on 15 March 2008, which England won 33–10, replacing Jonny Wilkinson
at fly-half. He had a successful match, converting all of his goal kicks and controlling the game well. After the match, he gave an interview for the BBC
, in which he accidentally swore.
Cipriani was named in the England Saxons
squad on 1 July 2008. On his return to England
he scored 19 points including a try.
On 18 May 2008, Cipriani suffered a fracture dislocation of his right ankle during Wasps semi-final play-off victory over Bath." Cipriani was tackled by Olly Barkley
and got trapped at the bottom of a ruck in the 49th minute at Adams Park
. He was ruled out of England's tour of New Zealand
due to his ankle fracture.
Cipriani made his return to London Wasps
in a Premiership match against Bath on 1 October 2008. His recovery has been described as remarkable, given the severity of the injury, and because his return was six weeks to two months ahead of schedule. His sprint coach Margot Wells
has been quoted as saying that due to Cipriani's superb attitude and hard work, he will return 'stronger in the tackle, fitter and faster than before'.
Following an injury to Jonny Wilkinson
, Cipriani regained the England number 10 shirt for the 2008 Autumn Internationals
. He was then dropped following two poor displays in defeat to South Africa and Australia. Much was also made of his high-profile relationship with model Kelly Brook
and concerns were raised by critics about whether he was fully committed to rugby.
Cipriani enjoyed a good start to the 2009–2010 season with Wasps, only to injure himself in a match against Northampton Saints, a match in which he incidentally scored his first try of the season. This injury ruled him out of the Autumn Internationals
for England. It would be two months before he made his comeback playing in a London Wasps
A game against Harlequins, 7 December, playing for 40 minutes.
Cipriani played his last home match for London Wasps
on 1 May 2010 against Cardiff Blues
in the Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final.
announced Cipriani would join the Melbourne Rebels
. Rebels' Coach Rod MacQueen said, "Danny Cipriani is ... coming for all the right reasons. [He] is on the right path to the culture we are after." In England, there was speculation about Cipriani's chances of English selection for the 2011 Rugby World Cup
. While England's manager Martin Johnson said he would not select Cipriani if he moved to the southern hemisphere, former English international Austin Healey
said he believed Cipriani could still feature for England at the tournament in New Zealand.
In August 2010 Neil Warnock
, manager of the London based football club Queens Park Rangers
, revealed Cipriani would train with the Rangers and might even play for the reserves in preparation for his move to Melbourne. Cipriani also trained with London football club Tottenham Hotspur. In September 2010, Cipriani went to Denver to train with the Colorado Rapids
, which he said was for "altitude
training". During September 2010 Cipriani trained with the Milton Keynes Dons and was reportedly offered the chance to sign with them if he did not enjoy his first season in Melbourne.
Despite issues with his Australian work visa, Cipriani joined Rebels for pre-season training in late 2010. He trained at fly-half, and in early 2011 was one of two captains to lead the Rebels in two friendly trials against the visiting Tonga
ns.
In the Rebels
second ever game in the Super Rugby competition against the Brumbies, Cipriani scored the Rebels
's first points from a penalty kick. He then went on to score another 17 points in the game and help the Rebels
to their first ever win.
Cipriani's off-field behaviour has caused him problems with the Rebels. After the first match of the season, a loss to the NSW Waratahs, he was accused of taking a bottle of vodka from behind a Melbourne bar. The club fined him his match payment. In May he and team-mate Richard Kingi
were stood down for the game against the Queensland Reds
, after failing to meet standards agreed by the Rebel players' group. He was then left out of the Rebels squad named to tour to South Africa for two matches.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer. He plays fly-half, centre and fullback. He has played for London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
and England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
. He's currently playing his first season of Super Rugby as a member of the inaugural Melbourne Rebels
Melbourne Rebels
The Melbourne Rebels are a professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They are the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia...
squad.
Biography
Danny Cipriani is mixed-race, his father is from Trinidad & Tobago while his mother is EnglishEnglish people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
. Cipriani's father, Jay, and his mother, Anne, separated soon after his birth. Although Jay returned to Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
, Cipriani was able to remain in contact with him. He lived with his mother on the Lockyer Estate in Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
. In order to afford a better life for him, his mother learnt The Knowledge so that she could drive a London Taxi. She was able to afford to send him to the Wimbledon College Prep school, Donhead
Donhead
Donhead is a Roman Catholic independent school taking boys from ages 4 to 11, based in south-west London.The school is situated at 33 Edge Hill, Wimbledon, London SW19 4NP, with its Sports Ground at 143 Coombe Lane, London SW20 0QX.It was founded by the Jesuits in 1933.ORIGINSThe building known...
.
Spotted as a rugby talent at Donhead, he was offered a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
and advised to move to the Junior House of The Oratory School
The Oratory School
The Oratory School is a Roman Catholic, independent school for boys in Woodcote, Berkshire. It is the last Catholic all-boys boarding school remaining in Great Britain. It has approximately 420 pupils...
near Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
to continue his development. He later moved to Whitgift School
Whitgift School
Whitgift School is an independent day school educating approximately 1,400 boys aged 10 to 18 in South Croydon, London in a parkland site.- History and grounds :...
in Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
after Common Entrance
Common Entrance
Common Entrance Examinations are taken by some children in the UK as part of the admissions process for academically selective secondary schools at age 13 or 11. Most of the secondary schools that use Common Entrance for admission are public schools; most of the schools that routinely prepare...
. A keen all-round sportsman, Cipriani played junior football for Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
and was offered youth terms by Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
. He also played schoolboy cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
for Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
and Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. He was invited to join Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
as a batsman
Batting (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the cricket ball with a cricket bat to score runs or prevent the loss of one's wicket. A player who is currently batting is denoted as a batsman, while the act of hitting the ball is called a shot or stroke...
. He also played squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
at county level. He first played club rugby at Rosslyn Park
Rosslyn Park F.C.
Rosslyn Park Football Club is a rugby union team. Founded in 1879, the club became the first club based in England to play rugby internationally when it faced Stade Francais in Paris on 18 April 1892. In 1912, the club played in Prague, Budapest and Vienna in the first rugby matches ever played in...
in Roehampton
Roehampton
Roehampton is a district in south-west London, forming the western end of the London Borough of Wandsworth. It lies between the town of Barnes to the north, Putney to the east and Wimbledon Common to the south. The Richmond Park golf courses are west of the neighbourhood, and just south of these is...
, where he developed his passion for the game.
Personal life
In 2007 Cipriani was photographed with Cheeky GirlThe Cheeky Girls
The Cheeky Girls are a pop duo consisting of twin sisters Gabriela and Monica Irimia, from Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania, Romania, but based in Britain. After appearing as auditionees in Popstars: The Rivals, they achieved success in the charts with four top ten hits between 2002 and 2004...
Monica Irimia. In September 2008 he began dating model and occasional TV presenter Kelly Brook
Kelly Brook
Kelly Brook is an English model, actress, entrepreneur, television presenter and Playboy model.-Early life:...
. Although Cipriani and Brook ended their 22-month relationship in June, 2010, they reunited later in the year to spend Christmas Day together in the Maldives.
In June 2011, Cipriani was romantically linked to Australian model Lara Bingle
Lara Bingle
Lara Bingle is an Australian fashion model who is best known for appearing in the 2006 Tourism Australia advertising campaign So where the bloody hell are you? She is also known for being the former fiancee of Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke and girlfriend of AFL footballer Brendon...
.
Their relationship became public in July after photos and a interview were published in an Australian magazine publication.
Club career
He joined Wasps Academy in 2003 and made his debut against Bristol RugbyBristol Rugby
Bristol Rugby is a rugby union club based in Bristol, England. The club currently plays in the RFU Championship and competes in the British and Irish Cup. They rely in large part on the many junior rugby clubs in the region, particularly those from 'the Combination'...
aged 17 in December 2004 in the Powergen Cup. Cipriani joined the London Wasps Academy full time in the 2006/7 season. He initially played for London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
U21 team and London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
A team before making more regular appearances for the first team in 2007.
After Alex King
Alex King
Alexander David King is a rugby union footballer who played at fly-half for ASM Clermont Auvergne and formerly Wasps. King is currently a coach at ASM Clermont Auvergne....
left Wasps in the summer of 2007, the fly-half position at the club became vacant, and, after playing in a series of positions for Wasps in the early games of the 2007/08 season Cipriani played two games in a at fly-half, against Gloucester and Munster, London Wasps winning both.
He is quicker over 69 metres than Paul Sackey
Paul Sackey
Paul Henry Sackey is an English rugby union footballer who currently plays at wing for Stade Français in the Top 14.As of 28 February 2009 he has 22 full England caps...
and this story was confirmed by their sprinting coach.
On 6 October 2008 Cipriani was involved in a bust-up with club and international team-mate Josh Lewsey
Josh Lewsey
Owen Joshua Lewsey MBE is a former English rugby union footballer who played fullback, wing or centre for Wasps.-Career:...
in a training ground fight.
Cipriani was left nursing a bloody nose and cut lip following the incident at Wasps’ training ground. The spat started after Lewsey accused Cipriani of missing several tackles during a full-contact session.
International career
Cipriani captained England U16. He played fly-half for the England U19 side in the U19 World CupUnder 19 Rugby World Championship
The IRB under-19 Rugby World Cup was the premier tournament for male rugby union players under the age of 19 organised by the sports governing body the International Rugby Board annually from 2004 until 2007...
but was unable to complete the tournament due to a head injury.
Cipriani was part of the Saxons' side that won the Churchill Cup
Churchill Cup
The Churchill Cup was an annual rugby union tournament, held in June, contested by representative men's teams from Canada, England, the United States, and other invited teams from a wide array of countries....
at Twickenham in 2007. He just missed out on selection for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
for England, despite spending the summer in their training camp. He was called up to the England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
squad for the 2008 Six Nations Championship
2008 Six Nations Championship
The 2008 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2008 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the ninth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 114th...
. Many experts were calling for Cipriani to be picked at full-back to ease him into the international arena, a position he played successfully with the London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
upon breaking into the first team. His starting debut for England was due to be realised when he was picked at full-back for the game against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
on 8 March 2008.
However, two days before Cipriani was to make his full England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
debut, he was axed from the squad due to "inappropriate behaviour". Cipriani was photographed leaving a London nightclub at 12.30am.
He started the match against Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
on 15 March 2008, which England won 33–10, replacing Jonny Wilkinson
Jonny Wilkinson
Jonathan Peter "Jonny" Wilkinson OBE is an English rugby union player and member of the England national team. Wilkinson rose to acclaim from 2001 to 2003, before and during the 2003 Rugby World Cup and was acknowledged as one of the world’s best rugby players...
at fly-half. He had a successful match, converting all of his goal kicks and controlling the game well. After the match, he gave an interview for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, in which he accidentally swore.
Cipriani was named in the England Saxons
England Saxons
England Saxons is the current name of England's men's second national rugby union team. The team has previously been known by a number of names, such as England B, Emerging England and, most recently, England A...
squad on 1 July 2008. On his return to England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
he scored 19 points including a try.
Injury and return to Wasps for 2008–2009
Olly Barkley
Oliver John Barkley is an English rugby union player who plays at fly-half or centre for Bath and England. Uniquely, Barkley played for his country before making his full senior club début.-Early career:...
and got trapped at the bottom of a ruck in the 49th minute at Adams Park
Adams Park
Adams Park is a football stadium in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. It is the home ground of Wycombe Wanderers F.C. and the Aviva Premiership Rugby Union club London Wasps...
. He was ruled out of England's tour of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
due to his ankle fracture.
Cipriani made his return to London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
in a Premiership match against Bath on 1 October 2008. His recovery has been described as remarkable, given the severity of the injury, and because his return was six weeks to two months ahead of schedule. His sprint coach Margot Wells
Margot Wells
Margot Wells was a successful sprinter and Scottish 100/100 hurdles champion. She is based in Guildford, Surrey where she is an elite sprint and fitness coach....
has been quoted as saying that due to Cipriani's superb attitude and hard work, he will return 'stronger in the tackle, fitter and faster than before'.
Following an injury to Jonny Wilkinson
Jonny Wilkinson
Jonathan Peter "Jonny" Wilkinson OBE is an English rugby union player and member of the England national team. Wilkinson rose to acclaim from 2001 to 2003, before and during the 2003 Rugby World Cup and was acknowledged as one of the world’s best rugby players...
, Cipriani regained the England number 10 shirt for the 2008 Autumn Internationals
End of year rugby tests
The End of year rugby tests, known as Autumn internationals in the Northern Hemisphere or Guinness Autumn Series in the Republic of Ireland, are a series of rugby union matches contested approximately each November...
. He was then dropped following two poor displays in defeat to South Africa and Australia. Much was also made of his high-profile relationship with model Kelly Brook
Kelly Brook
Kelly Brook is an English model, actress, entrepreneur, television presenter and Playboy model.-Early life:...
and concerns were raised by critics about whether he was fully committed to rugby.
Cipriani enjoyed a good start to the 2009–2010 season with Wasps, only to injure himself in a match against Northampton Saints, a match in which he incidentally scored his first try of the season. This injury ruled him out of the Autumn Internationals
End of year rugby tests
The End of year rugby tests, known as Autumn internationals in the Northern Hemisphere or Guinness Autumn Series in the Republic of Ireland, are a series of rugby union matches contested approximately each November...
for England. It would be two months before he made his comeback playing in a London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
A game against Harlequins, 7 December, playing for 40 minutes.
Cipriani played his last home match for London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
on 1 May 2010 against Cardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club....
in the Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final.
2010-11 Preparations for move to Australia
In February 2010, the London WaspsLondon Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
announced Cipriani would join the Melbourne Rebels
Melbourne Rebels
The Melbourne Rebels are a professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They are the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia...
. Rebels' Coach Rod MacQueen said, "Danny Cipriani is ... coming for all the right reasons. [He] is on the right path to the culture we are after." In England, there was speculation about Cipriani's chances of English selection for the 2011 Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
. While England's manager Martin Johnson said he would not select Cipriani if he moved to the southern hemisphere, former English international Austin Healey
Austin Healey
Austin Sean Healey is a former English rugby union player, who played as a utility back for Leicester Tigers, and has represented the England national rugby union team and the British Lions....
said he believed Cipriani could still feature for England at the tournament in New Zealand.
In August 2010 Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....
, manager of the London based football club Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
, revealed Cipriani would train with the Rangers and might even play for the reserves in preparation for his move to Melbourne. Cipriani also trained with London football club Tottenham Hotspur. In September 2010, Cipriani went to Denver to train with the Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
, which he said was for "altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
training". During September 2010 Cipriani trained with the Milton Keynes Dons and was reportedly offered the chance to sign with them if he did not enjoy his first season in Melbourne.
Despite issues with his Australian work visa, Cipriani joined Rebels for pre-season training in late 2010. He trained at fly-half, and in early 2011 was one of two captains to lead the Rebels in two friendly trials against the visiting Tonga
Tonga national rugby union team
The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
ns.
2011 Super Rugby season with the Melbourne Rebels
Cipriani is the first England international player to join an Australian Super Rugby team. As of 23 November 2011, he has played 12 matches for the Melbourne Rebels and scored 108 points. His ill-discipline off the field has cost him the chance to play more.In the Rebels
Melbourne Rebels
The Melbourne Rebels are a professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They are the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia...
second ever game in the Super Rugby competition against the Brumbies, Cipriani scored the Rebels
Melbourne Rebels
The Melbourne Rebels are a professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They are the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia...
's first points from a penalty kick. He then went on to score another 17 points in the game and help the Rebels
Melbourne Rebels
The Melbourne Rebels are a professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They are the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia...
to their first ever win.
Cipriani's off-field behaviour has caused him problems with the Rebels. After the first match of the season, a loss to the NSW Waratahs, he was accused of taking a bottle of vodka from behind a Melbourne bar. The club fined him his match payment. In May he and team-mate Richard Kingi
Richard Kingi
Richard Kingi is an Australian professional Rugby union footballer, born in Tauranga, New Zealand. His usual position is half back, though there has been speculation he is fast enough to play on the wing....
were stood down for the game against the Queensland Reds
Queensland Reds
The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
, after failing to meet standards agreed by the Rebel players' group. He was then left out of the Rebels squad named to tour to South Africa for two matches.