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Quade Cooper signs with a new Super Rugby team and leaves more cryptic messages on social media

Quade Cooper with the Wallabies in 2017. (Photos/Getty Images)

The worst kept secret in Australian rugby has been confirmed, with former Wallabies playmaker Quade Cooper finally moving on from the Queensland Reds after finding a new Super Rugby home.

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It was widely anticipated that Cooper would join the Melbourne Rebels, who announced his signature today on a one-year deal for 2019. He will join the side in November for the start of their pre-season training. The move south puts Cooper back in Wallabies contention for the looming World Cup year, back playing against his competition for a squad spot in Super Rugby.

The Rebels backline now compromises a stable of Australia’s premier players with Cooper’s old teammate Will Genia, Matt Toomua, Reece Hodge, Dane Haylett-Petty, Marika Koroibete and rising star Jack Maddocks.

“I want to do whatever I can on and off the field to help grow the rugby community in Melbourne. I’m keen to work hard and make the entire Rebels organisation and their fans proud,” Cooper said.

“I was really impressed seeing the improvement that Melbourne have made this year.

“Their professionalism since the first discussion we had about me being a Rebel has been first class.”

“I know that rugby in Melbourne has a strong history and cultural connection.

“If I can help out the grassroots and be involved in inspiring the next generation, then that is just a bonus for me.”

Cooper was contracted to the Reds for the 2019 Super Rugby season on the final year of his original 3-year homecoming deal, but a release agreement appears to have been negotiated. It is believed the Reds will still cover some of the bill for Cooper’s salary.

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The discarded playmaker took to social media last night to throw some subtle shade on coach Brad Thorn, posting an image of himself fending Thorn in the throat when the two squared off during the 2011 Rugby World Cup semi-final.

The post alluded to an impending announcement with the caption: “Sometimes you are forced out of the place you love but thank god there’s more than one place that loves me.”

Cooper shared a new post after the announcement in celebration of the news, again offering some cryptic messages by saying he will now be playing, learning and “ENJOYING” his rugby in all caps.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpQ1ZnSApqY

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Rebels coach Dave Wessels had been pushing for Cooper’s signature for some time now and has now found a suitable replacement for flyhalf Jack Debreczini.

“I’ve obviously chatted to Quade a lot over the last few months and I’ve been impressed by his love of the game, and his willingness to reflect on his journey. He’s been pretty selfless in his commitment to club rugby in Brisbane and has shown patience and maturity,” he said.

“He knows that he has some hard work ahead of him, but he has the potential to be a really important spark for us over the next few months. We’re excited to have him.”

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JW 52 minutes ago
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Lol you need to shoot your editor for that headline, even I near skipped the article.


France simply need to go to a league format for the Brennus, that will shave two weekends of pointless knockout rugby from their season and raise the competitions standards and mystique no end.


The under age loophole is also a easy door to shut, just remove the lower age limit. WR simply never envisioned a day were teams would target people under the age of 17 or whatever it is now, but much like with Rassie and his use of subs bench, that day was obviously always going to come. I can’t remember how football does it, I think it’s the other way around with them, you can’t sign anyone younger than that but unions can’t stop 17 or 18 yo’s from leaving for a pro club if they want to. There is a transaction that takes place of a few hundred thousand for a normal average player. I’d prefer rugby to be stricter and just keep the union bodies signoff being required.


What really was their problem with Kite and co leaving though? Do we really need a game dominated by Internationals? I even think WR’s proposed calendar might be a bit too much, with at minimum 12 top tier games being played in the World Championship. I think 10 to 12, maybe any one player playing 10 of those 12 is the best way to think of it, for every international team is max, so that they can allow their domestic comps to shine if they want, and other nations like Japan and Fiji can, even some of the home nations maybe, and fill out their calendar with extra tours if they like them as a way to make money. As it is RA don’t have as good a pathway system, so they could simply buy back those players if they turn good. Are they worried they’ll be less likely to? We wait for baited breath for the new season to be laid out in front of us by WR.

It could impose sanctions on the Fédération Française de Rugby, but the body which runs the Top 14 and the ProD2, the Ligue Nationale de Rugby, is entirely independent.

It’s not independent at all. The LNR is a body under, and commissioned by, the FFR (and Government control) to mediate the clubs. FFR can simply install a new club competition if they don’t listen, then you’d see whether the players want to stay at any club who doesn’t tow the line and move to the new competition, as they obviously wouldn’t fall under the auspice of world rugby. They would be rebels, which is fine in and upon itself, but they would isolate themselves from the rest of the game and would need to be OK with that. I have no doubt whatsoever that clubs would have to and want to fall in line to remain part of the EPCR and French rugby. Probably even the last thing they would want is to compete with another French domestic competition that has all the advantages they don’t.


All those players would do good for a few seasons in France, especially the fringe ones, with thankfully zero risk of them being poached if they turn good. New Zealand had a turn at keeping all of it’s talent, and while it upticked the competitiveness of the Super Rugby teams into a total dominance of Australian and South African counterparts (who were suffering more heavily than most the other way at that stage), it didn’t have as positive an effect on the next step up as ensuring young talents development is not hindered does. Essentially NZR flooded the locate market with players but inevitably it didn’t think the local economy could sustain any more pro teams itself, so now we are seeing a normal amount of exodus for the availability of places again. Are Australia in exactly the same footing? I think so, finances where dicey for a while perhaps but I doubt they are putting money constraints on their contracting now. It’s purely about who leaves to open up opportunity.

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Colin Friels 2 hours ago
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