Cipriani’s WCup hopes dim after DUI arrest
Print Edition
DANNY Cipriani was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving in the latest off-field controversy involving the flyhalf, putting his hopes of making England’s squad for the Rugby World Cup in jeopardy.
Cipriani, one of English rugby’s most high-profile and talented players, was the driver of a car involved in a collision with another car in London early on Monday, police said.
When asked about reports of an incident regarding Cipriani, London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement yesterday that a 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving, and was taken to a police station before being freed on bail until early August. There were no reports of any injuries.
Cipriani plays for Manchester-based club Sale but was in London on international duty with England on Sunday. He starred in a 73-12 win over the Barbarians at Twickenham, crossing for two tries and scoring 33 points in total.
Training squad
The flyhalf was selected in England’s 50-man training squad for the World Cup, but was facing a fight to be included in the final 31-man group that has to be named by August 31.
Cipriani appeared to have turned his career around over the past two years, a different man to the perceived wild child who was caught up in off-field issues, having dated models Kelly Brook and Katie Price, amid concerns about his dedication to the sport.
Rarely out of the headlines after bursting onto the international scene in 2008, he was reprimanded for off-field incidents in his 18 months with the Melbourne Rebels in 2011-12. In 2013, he was hospitalized after being hit by a double-decker bus while on a night out with teammates at Sale.
He has shown more maturity, on and off the field, over the past two seasons at Sale and has caught the attention of coach Stuart Lancaster — a disciplinarian who places high demands on players in terms of their off-field behavior.
Lancaster dropped scrumhalf Danny Care from the squad for the Six Nations in 2012 after he was charged with drink-driving. Two other leading players, center Manu Tuilagi and hooker Dylan Hartley, have already been dropped from the World Cup squad for disciplinary reasons.
Tuilagi was convicted of assaulting a taxi driver and two female police officers on a night out. Hartley was banned for four weeks for headbutting an opponent during an English Premiership match, a suspension which ruled him out of contention for England’s warm-up matches and opening pool game against Fiji.
Cipriani, in fact, had backed Lancaster’s decision to ax powerful center Tuilagi.
England has yet to comment on the latest Cipriani incident, which came a week after he described his inclusion in the World Cup training squad as a “dream,” and outlined the desire to become a coach, saying “I want to be a role model”.
The Rugby World Cup starts on September 18.
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