Former England rugby star Danny Cipriani has spilled the tea on some behind-the-scenes drama during the 2015 training camp leading up to the disastrous Rugby World Cup campaign.
Stuart Lancaster's squad shockingly crashed out of their own tournament in the group stages – a torrid campaign that didn't see Cipriani in the mix.
In his explosive new autobiography, titled 'Who Am I?', Cipriani has dropped a bombshell by revealing that he believes four members of the current England squad formed a leadership group reminiscent of the Mafia during the ill-fated tournament.
This revelation is part of an exclusive extract from his upcoming book, which is currently being serialised in
Although initially he thought he got on with the players, Cipriani writes that he found out he was persona non-grata following a Whats App back and forth while in camp.
He wrote: “Still, I get on fine with most of them. At least I think I do.
“Sam’s [Burgess] in a WhatsApp group with the mafia, until one day, he posts a picture on Instagram of me and him in a coffee shop. A few hours later, George screenshots the picture and messages it to Sam, before removing him from the group.
“Sam couldn’t care less but I’m not sure what I’ve done to offend them. Clearly I’m not as welcome as I thought I was.”
5 players mafia:
#1. Chris Robshaw
#2. Ben Youngs
A virtuoso performance from Ben Youngs, making only his second Twickenham start, brought him the Investec Man of the Match award when England overpowered Australia 35-18 in November 2010.
Six years later, in the corresponding game, he won the Old Mutual Wealth Man of the Match award in England’s 37-21 victory. He appeared in every match in the 2013 Six Nations and went on to reach 40 caps against South Africa at Twickenham in November 2014 before his 50th came against Fiji. Ben went on to break Matt Dawson’s record for England Test starts at scrum half in the opening match of the 2018 NatWest 6 Nations against Italy in Rome. He started the 2019 Rugby World Cup final against South Africa and currently holds the record for being the most-capped England Men’s international of all time, having surpassed Jason Leonard’s record of 114 caps in England’s fixture against Wales in the 2022 Six Nations. Recently, Youngs was named in a Rugby World Cup squad for the fourth time in his career when he was included in Steve Borthwick’s squad for the 2023 edition of the tournament in Fran
#3. Dan Cole
Missing only one of England’s 41 Tests that preceded the 2013 summer reflects the impact that Dan Cole has made since his debut in the victory over Wales at Twickenham in February 2010.
He was a 2013 British & Irish Lion and played off the bench in all three Tests. He also figured in five matches for the 2017 Lions in New Zealand but did not appear in a Test match. Cole made his first Test start for England against Italy in 2010, started all five games in the 2011 Rugby World Cup and also in the 2012 and 2013 Six Nations. He reached the 50-cap landmark in the 55-35 win over France in March 2015 and is England’s second most capped prop behind Jason Leonard (114). He featured in the 2019 squad for the Rugby World Cup and played in the final, and was recently named in Steve Borthwick’s squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
#4. Owen Farrell
The son of rugby league great and former England centre Andy, Owen Farrell has been England captain since 2019 where his leads with his game management and goal-kicking as an option at either fly half or centre.
He began playing rugby league aged eight for Wigan St Patricks, like his father. It took Owen little time to impress, becoming the then-youngest player to appear in English professional rugby union aged 17 years and 11 days when turning out for Saracens in 2008. He had made powerful impressions for England U16, U17, U18 and U20 teams. Farrell made his full senior debut against Scotland in Murrayfield on 4 February 2012. His maiden try came against Australia on 2 November 2013. Farrell deputised for captain Dylan Hartley in 2017 and 2018 before being confirmed as captain for the Guinness Six Nations in 2019 and led England to the Rugby World Cup final in Japan later that year. He has featured in three British and Irish Lions tours and earned his 100th England appearance in the 2022 Autumn Nations Series. Recently, Farrell was named in Steve Borthwick’s squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
#5. George Ford
It has been a long journey from Saddleworth Rangers where George Ford was first involved in rugby league at the age of four.
He moved on to Wigan Warriors and Bradford Bulls and was later a contemporary of Owen Farrell at St George’s School, Harpenden. He became the youngest player to make his professional debut in England at 16 years and 237 days when Leicester Tigers met Yorkshire Carnegie in their 2009 LV= Cup match. George scored 59 points during England’s Junior World Championship campaign in Italy in 2011, having contributed 76 points to their Grand Slam earlier in the year, and was crowned the World Rugby Young Player of the Year. He was included in the England Senior Elite Player Squad for the first time in January 2014. George’s first Test appearance came off the bench for Owen Farrell in the final minutes of England’s 29-18 victory over Wales at Twickenham in March 2014. He was part of the England squads that won the 2016 and 2017 Six Nations and started in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final at fly half.
