Danny Cipriani facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Danny Cipriani

Cipriani in pre-2008 Six Nations
Date of birth	(1987-11-02) 2 November 1987 (age 37)
Place of birth	Roehampton, London, England
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	92 kg (14 st 7 lb; 203 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half, Fullback, Centre Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2006–2010 Wasps 93 (688) 2011–2012 Melbourne Rebels 19 (122) 2012–2016 Sale Sharks 102 (794) 2016–2018 Wasps 51 (144) 2018–2020 Gloucester 44 (128) 2021–2022 Bath 15 (53) Correct as of 27 June 2022 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2008–2018 England 16 (64)

Danny Cipriani (born 2 November 1987) is a former professional rugby union player from England. He played for several top teams like Bath, Gloucester, Sale Sharks, and Wasps in England. He also played for Melbourne Rebels in Australia. Danny usually played as a fly-half or fullback. He also represented his country, England, 16 times.

Early Life and Sports Talents

Danny Cipriani started his schooling at Donhead Preparatory School in Wimbledon. He was very good at rugby from a young age. Because of his talent, he received a scholarship to The Oratory School near Reading. Later, he moved to Whitgift School in Croydon.

Danny was a great all-round sportsman. He played junior football for Queens Park Rangers. He was even offered a chance to play for Reading's youth team. He also played schoolboy cricket for Berkshire and Oxfordshire. He was invited to join Surrey County Cricket Club as a batsman. On top of that, he played squash at a high level for his county. He first started playing club rugby at Rosslyn Park. This is where his love for rugby truly grew. His coaches encouraged his exciting and creative style of play.

Club Rugby Career

Playing for Wasps

Danny Cipriani joined the Wasps Academy in 2003. He made his first team debut at just 17 years old in December 2004. He became a full-time player for Wasps in the 2006–07 season. He played for the under-21 and 'A' teams before becoming a regular in the main team in 2007. He was part of the Wasps team that won the 2007 Heineken Cup Final.

After another player, Alex King, left Wasps in 2007, Danny took over the important fly-half position. He helped Wasps win games against Gloucester and Munster. In 2008, Danny had a training ground disagreement with teammate Josh Lewsey.

Cipriani playing for Wasps against Bristol in 2009

In May 2008, Danny suffered a serious ankle injury during a play-off match against Bath. This injury meant he could not join England's tour to New Zealand. He also missed Wasps' win in the 2007–08 Premiership final. However, he made an amazing recovery and returned to play for Wasps in October 2008. His recovery was much faster than expected.

Danny had a good start to the 2009–10 season with Wasps. But he got injured again in a match against Northampton Saints. This injury kept him out of England's international games that autumn. He returned to play in December. Danny played his last home match for Wasps on 1 May 2010.

Time with Melbourne Rebels

In February 2010, it was announced that Danny Cipriani would join the Melbourne Rebels team in Australia. This was a big move for an English player. Some people wondered if he could still play for England while playing in Australia.

Danny joined the Rebels for training in late 2010. He trained as a fly-half and even led the team as a captain in some friendly games. He was the first England international player to join an Australian Super Rugby club. In the Rebels' second-ever game, Danny scored their first points from a penalty kick. He scored 17 points in that game, helping the Rebels win their first match.

During his time with the Rebels, Danny faced some challenges with team rules. He was sometimes left out of games because he did not meet the team's standards.

Returning to English Rugby

Danny Cipriani signed a new three-year contract with Sale Sharks in England. He joined them at the start of the 2013–14 season. He scored over 200 points for Sale Sharks. He also helped Sale reach the LV= Cup Final and stay in the top league. In May 2014, Danny was chosen for England's team to tour New Zealand.

In February 2016, it was announced that Danny would return to play for Wasps for the 2016–17 season. After two seasons with Wasps, Danny joined Gloucester Rugby for the 2018–19 season. In May 2019, his fellow players voted him Player of the Year. He left Gloucester in December 2020.

In March 2021, he signed a one-year deal with Bath for the 2021–22 season. He joined the club in May 2021.

Playing for England

Danny Cipriani captained the England under-16 team. He also played for the England under-19 team in the Under-19 World Cup. He was part of the England Saxons team that won the Churchill Cup in 2007. He was almost selected for the 2007 Rugby World Cup for England.

Danny was called up to the England squad for the 2008 Six Nations Championship. Many thought he should play at full-back to help him get used to international rugby. He was set to make his first start for England against Scotland in March 2008. However, he was temporarily removed from the squad due to a rule violation.

He then started the match against Ireland on 15 March 2008. England won that game 33–10. Danny played well, kicking all his goals and controlling the game. After a long time away from the England team, Danny was called up again in 2014 for a tour of New Zealand. He came off the bench in two matches. He was also on the bench for the first match of the 2015 Six Nations. The next week, he came on as a substitute against Italy and scored a try. England won 47–17.

Danny was not chosen for the final England squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. In 2016, he was also not included in the new coach Eddie Jones' first squad.

International Tries for England

Danny Cipriani scored three tries while playing for England:

Try	Opposing team	Location	Venue	Competition	Date	Result	Score
1	Pacific Islanders	London, England	Twickenham Stadium	2008 Autumn Internationals	8 November 2008	Win	39 – 13
2	Italy	London, England	Twickenham Stadium	2015 Six Nations	14 February 2015	Win	47 – 17
3	France	Paris, France	Stade de France	2015 Rugby World Cup Warm-Up	22 August 2015	Loss	20 – 25

More About Danny

Danny Cipriani has a mixed heritage. His father is from Trinidad with some Italian background, and his mother is English. His parents separated when he was young, but he has stayed in touch with his father.

In 2013, Danny was involved in an accident where he was hit by a bus in Leeds. He was taken to the hospital but was released with only bumps and bruises. In 2014, Danny posed for a PETA advertisement. The campaign was called "Ink Not Mink" and was against using animal fur.