Cipriani agrees switch to Australia

(GETTY IMAGES)

Danny Cipriani will quit Wasps at the end of this season and join newly-formed Australian team Melbourne Rebels.

The England international fly-half has agreed terms with the fledgling Super 15 outfit, ending speculation about his immediate playing future.

It means 22-year-old Cipriani, who has won seven caps, has put his Test career on hold in pursuit of a new career Down Under.

Wasps though, say a return to them in the future has already been discussed.

Cipriani has failed to make headway under the regime of England manager Martin Johnson, although he remains one of the domestic game's brightest talents.

Melbourne, whose head coach is former Australia national team boss Rod Macqueen, are currently busily recruiting ready for their debut Super 15 season next year.

And Cipriani's capture represents a major statement of intent.

Cipriani said: "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.

"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.

"Leaving Wasps is very hard. This is my home, I have played here since I was 15.

"I see this move as the next step in my career and would never rule out coming back to play in England.

"If I did, the first place I would look at is Wasps, and we have already talked about that as a possibility for the future.

"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 (rugby director) Tony Hanks and (head coach) Shaun Edwards."

As for heading Down Under, Cipriani added: "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 (ex-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."

Cipriani has been named in the Wasps team for Sunday's Guinness Premiership clash against play-off rivals Saracens.

News of his Adams Park exit though, comes hot on the heels of Wasps' England wing Paul Sackey agreeing a two-year contract to play alongside Jonny Wilkinson at Toulon next term.

Hanks added: "From a club perspective it is obviously disappointing for the fans that they won't get to see Danny playing at Adams Park, but I am sure that they will follow his progress in Australia with a lot of interest.

"The news of Wasps' departures has obviously dominated, with Sackey and now Cipriani, but we owe it to guys like these who have served the club well before we move to the announcements about new players joining the squad.

"We have some very positive recruitment underway behind the scenes, and there is a very positive feeling at the Club.

"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.

"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, while nothing is guaranteed, Danny has expressed a desire to return to the club later down the line.

"Wasps has been a big part of his life, especially in terms of his development in the last six or seven years, and not many players get to experience another competition or another culture at only 22.

"I certainly believe this sort of sabbatical period is becoming more accepted in rugby, as we have seen in recent years."

Cipriani's decision effectively rules him out of the running to challenge for a place in Johnson's 2011 World Cup squad, which will take place across the Tasman Sea from his new base in New Zealand.

But Cipriani has rocketed down the England pecking order since Johnson took charge, and earlier this month he played at full-back for the England Saxons against Italy A.

It is understood that he will need to be in Australia by October this year, ready for a full pre-season ahead of the 2011 Super 15 campaign.

The Rebels are thought to have a playing budget of more than £5 million, with other English players also believed to be on their shopping list.

Cipriani had been a target for French clubs Stade Francais - whose squad includes his ex-Wasps colleagues James Haskell and Tom Palmer - and Perpignan.

But Cipriani, whose girlfriend is the actress and model Kelly Brook, will now look ahead to a new rugby career in the southern hemisphere.