Danny Cipriani: ‘I wasn’t a maverick. I was a decision maker’

The former England international reflects on conservatism stifling the game, grappling with grief and rediscovering his sense of self.

NOT A MAVERICK: Former England international Danny Cipriani.

“I do feel our country is fucked,” Danny Cipriani says calmly on a murky, rainy morning in Tunbridge Wells. 

The former England rugby player has been talking about his tumultuous life and career, without bitterness or rancour, for almost two hours, and he seems happier than at any point in the 15 years we have known each other. His reflections on the state of England are striking as Cipriani is not trying to shock or insult anyone.