Danny Cipriani has been voted player of the year by his peers despite his continued England omission by Eddie Jones. The fly-half on Wednesday night collected the prestigious Rugby Players’ Association award following a stellar season with Gloucester.
Cipriani moved to Gloucester last summer, shunning more lucrative offers from abroad to keep his England hopes alive and while Jones has snubbed the 31-year-old all season, he has guided them into the Premiership play-offs for the first time since 2011. He was rewarded with a bumper new three-year contract last month, opting to stay at Kingsholm despite seven offers from Premiership clubs.
Cipriani was picked by Jones for last June’s tour of South Africa, making his first international start in 10 years in the third Test, but while the England head coach has since deemed him surplus to requirements, his latest accolade demonstrates the esteem in which his fellow professionals hold in him. Jones has never been swayed by popular opinion but has been to watch Gloucester’s last two Premiership matches, though it remains to be seen if Cipriani will be included in Jones’ World Cup training squad.
“It’s very humbling to be named the winner of such a prestigious and special award,” said Cipriani. “Rugby is the ultimate team sport and every day we work exceptionally hard together as a club to improve every aspect of our performance. I would like to thank my fellow professionals for the wonderful recognition and to everyone who has continued to support me along this journey.”
London Irish have confirmed the signing of the All Blacks wing Waisake Naholo as their recruitment drive continues following their promotion to the Premiership. The 28-year-old, who has 16 tries in 26 Tests, was part of New Zealand’s World Cup winning squad in 2015 and joins Sean O’Brien, Paddy Jackson, Sekope Kepu, Curtis Rona and Nick Phipps as high-profile signings while the Wallabies lock Adam Coleman is expected to follow.
