Vodacom Super Rugby
Cipriani to stay with Rebels
2011-06-19 12:49
Melbourne - Former England flyhalf Danny Cipriani wants to see out the second year of his contract with the Melbourne Rebels and has promised to abide by the Super rugby team's rules.
The 23-year-old's debut season was marred by disciplinary problems, including being fined for a nightclub incident and excluded from the team for a month for breaches of team curfews.
Cipriani, who left England in a bid to resurrect his career after falling out of favour with coach Martin Johnson, said he had struggled to adapt to the culture of the Australian club and had been misunderstood and misjudged.
"Obviously there's been a lot of highs and there's been a lot of lows," Cipriani told The Age newspaper. "It's been disappointing in parts and I've got to realise it's a new club with new cultures and the way they deal with stuff - perhaps in other places it might have been different.
"But here they're very strict on the five star policy and their culture and I've got to abide by that," added Cipriani, referring to the Rebels' code of conduct.
"But I would say I've never done anything illegal or too far out, but I do have to realise I'm in a different country with different rules and to make sure we move forward."
Cipriani, who mixed moments of brilliance with some poor defensive play as the Rebels were handed the wooden spoon in their debut season, said the arrival of Wallabies backs Kurtley Beale and James O'Connor was a factor in his deciding to stay.
"Over the last month there's been a big U-turn in the way I'm going to be and what I'm going to do," he told the paper.
"There's a lot of misunderstanding around me and being misjudged but I've got to make sure that I abide by all the rules and make sure I can move forward because I'm very committed to this cause with the Rebels."