Biography
Danny Cipriani is an English fly-half who came through the Wasps Academy, making his first-team debut against Bristol in December 2004 aged just 17. A flamboyant, elusive playmaker with exceptional pace and kicking game, Cipriani quickly established himself as one of the most exciting young players in the Guinness Premiership.
After Alex King departed Wasps in the summer of 2007, Cipriani stepped up to claim the first-choice fly-half shirt for the 2007/08 season. His performances — including starring roles in wins over Gloucester and in the Heineken Cup — announced him as a genuine talent capable of challenging for the England number 10 jersey.
Cipriani's breakthrough season came to a tragic halt on 18 May 2008 when he suffered a fracture dislocation of his right ankle during Wasps' Premiership semi-final play-off victory over Bath. The injury ruled him out of England's summer tour and Wasps' Premiership final triumph.
A keen all-round sportsman in his youth, Cipriani played junior football for Queens Park Rangers, schoolboy cricket for Berkshire and Oxfordshire, and squash at county level. He developed his rugby at Rosslyn Park before joining the Wasps Academy.