June 10 (Reuters) – Australia flyhalf Quade Cooper has ended
speculation on his playing future by signing a three-year
contract to remain with the Queensland Reds.
Cooper made the announcement on Australia’s Fox Sports that
he had deciding to stay with the Queensland-based Super Rugby
side until after the 2015 World Cup in England.
“I’m really enjoying my time here, I’m in a good place at
the moment, and I’m enjoying where the Reds are going as an
organisation and as a team,” he told the television channel.
“We’ve got a bright future ahead and hopefully a few more
titles in the next few years.”
The New Zealand-born flyhalf has only just returned to the
field following a serious knee injury that he sustained during
the World Cup last year and was not included in Robbie Deans’
Wallabies team for their test series against Wales.
The 24-year-old had reportedly been considering a shift to
rugby league, overseas, or to another Australian franchise, but
decided instead to stay with the Super Rugby champions and
continue his potent partnership with fellow Wallaby Will Genia.
Genia re-signed with the Reds in April after initially
committing to the Western Force then changing his mind.
Cooper is facing an Australian Rugby Union investigation
following media reports he and fellow injured Wallaby Kurtley
Beale had been involved in an altercation in a Brisbane bar
earlier this week.
(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Auckland; Editing by John
O’Brien)
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