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'I always knew that I wanted to stay, it was just a matter of getting it all signed, sealed and delivered'
Danny Cipriani has insisted he never really wanted to leave Kingholm at the end of this season, claiming he was always likely to sign on and keep playing with Gloucester despite interest in his services from clubs such as Bristol and Bath.
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The out-of-favour England out-half announced on Tuesday evening that he had struck a deal to top-up his existing contract and will now stay with the Premiership play-off chasing Cherry & Whites until summer 2020.
Cipriani, who joined the club last summer, was originally contracted until the end of the 2019-20 season, but there were claims he has a break clause in the deal that he could have used this summer to enable him to go and play elsewhere.
It’s believed Cipriani was on a annual salary of approximately £200,000 but this will have increased dramatically under his newly-signed terms.
? Part Two of our Exclusive interview with @DannyCipriani87 will go live soon.
Part One is now live, and there's lots more to come! pic.twitter.com/unLYB2EBFN
— Gloucester Rugby ? (@gloucesterrugby) April 3, 2019
“I’m very pleased,” said 31-year-old Cipriani on Wednesday. “Last year, I waited until the end of May until I signed a contract with anybody, and it’s just nice to know that I can settle down for the next three years of my career and life and get the best out of myself at Gloucester.
“Gloucester is such a selfless team, everyone’s buying into it. There are no egos and everyone’s committed to the cause whatever their role. We’ve got an unbelievable group of players, with talent and personalities from all over the globe. Seeing everyone grow together is going to be special.
“The club, my team-mates, the coaches, the fans, everyone connected with the club has made it such a great experience for me to be at Gloucester. I always knew that I wanted to stay and it was just a matter of getting it all signed, sealed and delivered.
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“To the Gloucester faithful, keep turning up in the way you do, and hopefully we can keep giving you reasons to do so. Please get behind the boys because we’re a tight-knit group and have a big task at hand, we’re in a position this club hasn’t found itself in for a while. We’ve got some big games coming up, let’s make Kingsholm a fortress. Don’t underestimate your role.”
David Humphreys was relieved to have ensured that Cipriani, who was named player of the month last September in his first month playing for the club, will remain at the heart of Gloucester’s drive for improvement beyond this summer.
Boom – Danny is quids in after this update ?? https://t.co/Ei0TqpwjHR
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 2, 2019
“In his first few months with Gloucester, Danny has been everything we wanted and expected from him. His quest for perfection has helped to bring out the best in players around him.
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“He’s become a pivotal part of what we’re trying to achieve as a club, and we see him as a key player not just now, but for many seasons to come and were keen to secure his services with a new improved contract.
“There’s obviously been a lot of speculation about his future. So, understandably, we’re delighted that Danny is happy to commit his future to Gloucester Rugby and we look forward to achieving great things together.”
