Danny Cipriani could potentially leave his Gloucester contract a year early
Despite signing a two-year deal in the summer of 2018, Danny Cipriani’s future might not be at Kingsholm next season.
The fly-half agreed to terms with Gloucester following his recall to the England squad for the tour of South Africa last year, passing up much more lucrative offers in France in order to stay in the Gallagher Premiership and keep himself in contention for the Rugby World Cup.
RugbyPass understands that the 31-year-old signed for close to £200k with the Cherry and Whites, turning down offers of over double that from France, in a remarkable show of his determination and desire to play for England again.
With those opportunities drying up since the South Africa tour, with Owen Farrell preferred at 10 and George Ford currently the incumbent bench option, the former Wasps fly-half potentially has multiple paths he could take in the coming months.
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RugbyPass understands that the second year of his deal with Gloucester has a release clause in it that can be activated by the player and that negotiations to restructure that second year of his deal have stalled with the club. Those negotiations also included the possibility of an extension beyond the 2019/20 season.
Cipriani’s market value clearly outstrips the financial package he is currently on, but Gloucester are constrained by their salary cap situation next season, having already added big ticket players such as Jaco Kriel, Franco Mostert and Matt Banahan in 2018. To lock Cipriani down beyond that – and take away any possibility of a release clause being invoked – Gloucester would have to backload the contract, both limiting their salary cap flexibility in 2020/21 and tying up a significant amount of money in a player that would turn 33 in that season.
One club that are reportedly interested in Cipriani’s services, should he exercise a release clause, are Harlequins, but they face similar salary cap constraints to Gloucester. RugbyPass understands that the only way they could table an offer appetising enough to lure Cipriani away from the West Country is if Demetri Catrakilis were to move on from the club, something which looks unlikely at this point.
Bath are in the market for a fly-half with Rhys Priestland leaving the Rec at the end of the season, but if reports are to be believed, they are closing in on the signing of Gareth Anscombe from the Cardiff Blues, leaving Cipriani with few options in England, where clubs have largely finalised their squads for next season and are at or close to the salary cap.
With a number of big-name fly-halves coming off contract in the summer of 2020, it is unlikely to be the buyers’ market that the then 32-year-old would want to go into for possibly the last sizeable contract he will sign as a professional player. A potential move at the end of this season to reflect his market value would make sense for his future and cannot be taken off the table.
He has been an integral part of Gloucester’s renaissance this season under Johan Ackermann but there is only so much leeway they have under the salary cap to renegotiate his deal and offer him better terms. They certainly do not have the flexibility to offer him the sort of deal that he was being offered last season by Top 14 clubs.
The likely option, as things stand, would be for Cipriani not to invoke any options he has in his contract and see out the second year of his deal with Gloucester, before testing his value on the market in 2020. If a French or Japanese club with space in their budgets were to come in for the playmaker, however, no one could begrudge Cipriani taking the offer sooner, with Eddie Jones and England having seemingly turned away from him.
Watch: Eddie Jones and Owen Farrell talk to the press after the 21-13 loss to Wales
Comments on RugbyPass
Results probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
1 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to comments