RUMOUR | Gloucester close in on Danny Cipriani's 'best friend'
Transfer RumoursMonday, 20 July 2020 at 11:08
Gloucester are reportedly set to sign Newcastle Falcons centre Dominic Waldouck as George Skivington continues to put his own stamp on the Cherry & whites squad.
The new head coach has already bolstered his playing roster with back-row Matt Garvey and prop Logovi'i Mulipola on short-term deals since taking charge last month.
According to The Rugby Paper, Waldouck, who has played for Wasps, Northampton Saints, London Irish and Ohio Avatars during a stellar career, will move to Kingsholm on a player-coach basis.
The 32-year-old currently combines his playing duties with being the Falcons backs defence coach.
As a Heineken Cup and Premiership winner who has played under some of the best mentors the game has to offer, Waldouck would have plenty of experience to pass on at Gloucester.
JOIN THE RUCK
“Shaun Edwards is probably the coach that has had the single most impact on me because during the formative years of my rugby education were spent with him and his knowledge is unbelievable,” he revealed to The Rugby Paper.
“Both me and Danny, who came through at the same time, owe a huge amount to Shaun for his dedication."
10 things you didn’t know about the fly-half
Here’s 10 things you didn’t know about Gloucester fly-half Danny Cipriani that might surprise you...
1. Sporting talent
A keen all-round sportsman, Cipriani played junior football for Queens Park Rangers and was offered youth terms by Reading. He also played schoolboy cricket for Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Cipriani was invited to join Surrey County Cricket Club as a batsman. He also played squash at county level
2. First rugby club
He first played club rugby at Rosslyn Park in Roehampton, where he developed his passion for the game.
3. Heritage
The fly-half is mixed-race; his father is Afro-Trinidadian with some Italian heritage while his mother is English. Cipriani's father, Jay, and his mother, Anne, separated soon after his birth. Although Jay returned to Trinidad, Cipriani was able to remain in contact with him.
4. Animal rights
Cipriani posed shirtless for a PETA "Ink Not Mink" ad, showing off his tattoos on behalf of the anti-fur campaign
5. Love life
The England fly-half has previously dated high-profile models Kelly Brook and Katie Price. His love life has been a bit more low key since his most recent high-profile girlfriend TV sports presenter Kirsty Gallagher. The relationship fizzled out after six months in 2016. Other famous romances include Lindsay Lohan, one of the Cheeky Girls and briefly the late Love Island host Caroline Flack.
6. Knock out
The England sporting pin-up was knocked out in a bust-up with club and international team-mate Josh Lewsey in 2012. The golden boy of English rugby was left nursing a bloody nose and cut lip following the incident at Wasps’ training ground in west London – and the session was allegedly abandoned.
7. Arrests
Cipriani was arrested for drink-driving after the car he was driving was involved in a collision with a taxi at 05:15 on 1 June 2015. He was convicted after a five-day trial for drink-driving before Westminster Magistrates' Court on 24 June 2016. He was ordered to pay a total of £7,620 in fines and costs and banned from driving for 18 months.
On 15 August 2018, during a pre-season tour in Jersey, Cipriani was arrested after an incident at a nightclub in St Helier. He was charged with common assault on a doorman, larceny, assault on a police woman, resisting arrest and being disorderly on licensed premises later that day.
8. Award winner
In May 2019 he was voted Player of the Year by the Rugby Players Association.
9. Salary
The fly-half was on £190,000 to £200,000 when he arrived at Kingsholm, which was a relatively modest wage for a player of his calibre and experience. It’s been reported that his latest deal with the club is closer to £400,000.
10. Mental health
In February 2020, Cipriani revealed that he has suffered from depression since the age of 22 in an emotional video.
TRENDING
LATEST NEWS
LATEST COMMENTS
Loading