Quade Cooper’s Toulon Turnaround Depicts Rugby’s Changing Transfer Landscape

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: July 31, 2015

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Allegiance-swapping has always acted as an inevitable draw in sport. For many years, rugby was restrained in regards to players changing loyalties, but 20 years after being declared a professional forum, transfers have taken an entirely new focus.

Australia fly-half Quade Cooper recently caused a stir after it emerged he will renege on an agreement to join Toulon and instead pen a new four-year deal with the Australian Rugby Union, per ESPN Scrum.



It's a unique story unlike anything seen before, involving the irate owner of Europe's strongest club, vast sums of money, Cooper's dream to lead Australia Sevens at next year's Rio Olympics and the contractual terms that bind them.

The "irate owner" in question is Toulon's Mourad Boudjellal, the man who has already facilitated the north-bound moves of many a southern-hemisphere star, telling French radio station Sud Radio (via ESPN Scrum) of his anger at Cooper's reversal:

They have played dirty. They are speaking to a player who they know has signed. So there is collusion there and I might sue the Australian federation to ensure our rights are respected. If Cooper doesn't come, the compensation will be in millions of euros.

He was our first choice. The damage to our image is significant. He took a photo with us, we centred our season ticket campaign around him, his jersey is on sale. What's more, we passed on other fly-halves to get him.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika will seemingly want Cooper among his squad, but this kind of controversy isn't his bag, nor would it be considered so for any coach who merely desires the best options available.



Such is the kind of thing rugby has grown to embrace, though. Not "embrace" in the warm way one would a visiting aunt or uncle, but more begrudgingly accept like the distant cousin you've never really gotten along with.

As aforementioned, Cooper's 360-deg...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Rugby Union

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