Cooper confirms Toulon departure
Quade Cooper is officially leaving Toulon, with the playmaker confirming his departure from the French club overnight.
The 58-Test Wallabies flyhalf has struggled for consistent game time in Toulon, with rumours of his imminent return to Australia swirling for months.
After an attempt to make the Australian Sevens team for the Olympics fell through, speculation only heightened that Cooper was unhappy and wanted to return to Australia.
The 28-year-old had a second year option in his contract but decided against exercising it, instead opting to cut his French sojourn short.
Cooper played 105 Super Rugby matches for the Reds over a nine-year Super Rugby career.
He tweeted early on Wednesday morning about the decision, in French, writing, "Bye thank you for everything... My brothers and the family I have now in Toulon I will miss... too soon."
au revoir Merci pour tout.. Mes frères et la famille que j'ai désormais à Toulon vont me manquer.. à bientôt 🔴⚫️ pic.twitter.com/d5WfLeaLZZ
— Quade Cooper (@QuadeCooper) July 12, 2016
If Cooper were to sign at least a two-year deal with an Australian Super Rugby franchise for the 2017 season, he would be eligible for the Wallabies in the upcoming Rugby Championship.
While the flyhalf did not confirm his destination, both the Queensland Reds and Melbourne Rebels have publicly indicated their interest in the mercurial 10 and he did tweet earlier in the week about returning to Super Rugby, in the wake of Jarryd Hayne's Fiji Sevens omission.
When I get back to Aus I'm going to whoop @JarrydHayne at Fifa & in return he will join the super rugby franchise I join.. #DealOrNoDeal 😇
— Quade Cooper (@QuadeCooper) July 11, 2016
