England and Gloucester star Danny Cipriani has opened up about he and his fiancée Victoria Rose tragically losing their baby at 24 weeks.
‘It’s been a challenging year, for many different reasons.’ wrote Cipriani in his Instagram post.
‘I’ve had to emotionally overcome and heal in different ways that I haven’t experienced before. In doing so it brought up old trauma and wounds that were unresolved.
‘Then the most beautiful thing happened, I was going to be a father and I fell in love. Deeply in love. For me falling in love was the scariest thing to do hence my behaviour over the years, she is the most magnificent, kind, wise, and beautiful person I’ve ever met.
‘At 24 weeks we lost River, our son. Was and is always going to be difficult, but we supported each other through it and found our love grew and got stronger.’
He added that he and Victoria are optimistic for the future, writing: ‘This may seem a sad post, it isn’t. This break now from last season and reflecting is a special place to be.’
‘I’m more determined than ever to keep growing learning and loving with my woman. I’m also locked in to represent myself the best I can on the field which to this day I still don’t think I have done… The future is exciting it’s going to take hard work. I’m ready’.
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10 things you didn’t know about the fly-half
Here’s 10 things you didn’t know about Gloucester fly-half Danny Cipriani that might surprise you…
1. Sporting talent
A keen all-round sportsman, Cipriani played junior football for Queens Park Rangers and was offered youth terms by Reading. He also played schoolboy cricket for Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Cipriani was invited to join Surrey County Cricket Club as a batsman. He also played squash at county level
2. First rugby club
He first played club rugby at Rosslyn Park in Roehampton, where he developed his passion for the game.
3. Heritage
The fly-half is mixed-race; his father is Afro-Trinidadian with some Italian heritage while his mother is English. Cipriani’s father, Jay, and his mother, Anne, separated soon after his birth. Although Jay returned to Trinidad, Cipriani was able to remain in contact with him.