QUADE COOPER INKS RETURN TO AUSTRALIAN RUGBY AND QUEENSLAND REDS
Qantas Wallabies flyhalf Quade Cooper has officially put pen to paper on a new three-year contract, cementing his return to Australian Rugby after one season with French club Toulon.
Cooper’s new deal will carry him through until the end of the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
The 28-year-old will also return to familiar surroundings at Ballymore, rejoining the Queensland Reds, where he played 105 Super Rugby matches from 2007 to 2015 and was a key player in the team’s title-winning 2011 campaign.
Cooper played 58 Tests for the Wallabies before heading to France, with his last appearance of that stretch coming in Australia’s 2015 Rugby World Cup pool match against Uruguay in Birmingham.
The veteran playmaker rejoined the Qantas Wallabies ahead of the 2016 Rugby Championship and ran on at flyhalf in last weekend’s second Bledisloe Cup Test in Wellington.
Cooper said playing international rugby was something he missed while overseas, and an opportunity that he would always cherish.
“For me, playing at the highest level for the Wallabies against the best teams in the world, week in, week out is the ultimate, and it will always be the pinnacle of our sport.
“Being back in Australia and having the opportunity to play for the Wallabies is something that drives me every day and being around my friends and family in Queensland is equally important for me.
“We have a good opportunity in the coming weeks to put some of the hard work we’ve done into action, and I know my teammates and I are looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead.
Qantas Wallabies Head Coach Michael Cheika said Cooper’s positive attitude around the group has already made an impact on the coaching staff and players.
“I am very pleased that Quade has decided to return to Australia to play his rugby. His return brings back his trademark flair and X factor but also, after his experience overseas, a wiser approach to the way he can lead the team around the field.
“I really believe he will make a big impact on the game both for Queensland and for the national team,” said Cheika.
Cooper has featured in the Wallabies’ starting XV in 46 of his 59 Test appearances and has amassed 154 points since making his debut in 2008 against Italy in Padova.
Quade Cooper
Position: Flyhalf
Height: 186cm
Weight: 92kg
DOB: 05/04/1988 (Auckland, NZ)
Super Rugby debut: 2007 v Crusaders, Christchurch
Super Rugby caps: 105 (all for Queensland Reds)
Super Rugby points: 770 (24T, 112C, 135PG, 7DG)
Test debut: 2008 v Italy, Padova
Test caps: 59
Test points: 154 (8T, 27C, 18PG, 2DG)
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