Australia fly-half Quade Cooper to tour French rugby clubs
Tuesday 14 April 2015 10:32, UK
Quade Cooper could be the latest Australian player to move to Europe as the Wallabies fly-half tours French rugby clubs.
Cooper has attracted interest from French rugby before but the 27-year-old has so far played his entire professional career with the Queensland Reds.
Cooper has yet to confirm which clubs he will inspect but Reds’ team-mates James Horwill and Will Genia have already confirmed they will move to Europe after this year’s World Cup. Horwill has signed with Harlequins while Genia will move to Stade Francais.
Cooper, though, looks likely to link up with a lucrative contract in France.
"When there are so many things in limbo, then you have to look at what's best for you," Cooper told The Australian.
"I can only look at what's set in stone. The French clubs want a decision pretty quickly."
As he travels to France, Cooper’s Queensland team-mates will be in South Africa ahead of their Super 15 clash with the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein. The Reds are currently bottom of the league ladder after a stumbling start to the season.
Cooper underwent shoulder surgery after breaking his scapula and will not return to the field until June 6, though the he has said he will have enough time to press for selection the Australia World Cup squad.
The latest shoulder injury is Cooper’s third in two years, and the playmaker also underwent a full knee reconstruction after tearing his ACL in the 2011 World Cup.
