Quade Cooper sticks with rugby... for now

Reuters

SCARY: Wallabies No.10 Quade Cooper has labelled the possibility of coming up against his mate Sonny Bill Williams in Hong Kong next week as 'scary'.

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Quade Cooper said the lure of next year's Rugby World Cup was too strong to make a switch to rugby league with the Wallabies playmaker signing a new one-year deal with  the Australian Rugby Union.

On the eve of his first Bledisloe Cup test against the All Blacks at ANZ Stadium in Sydney tomorrow night, Cooper revealed he had turned his back on offers from rugby league and overseas to remain in rugby, but only until after the Rugby World Cup at this stage.

He has been one of the stars of the Australian scene in 2010, helping rejuvenate the Queensland Reds and grabbing hold of the Australian No 10 jersey.

 "I'm loving my Rugby at the moment," he said today as after he brushed aside tempting - and lucrative - offers from NRL clubs.

"I wanted to stay and I wanted to bring it to a head now because these negotiations have taken time - but that's to be expected because we're talking about my future.

"It was time to bring some certainty to my future and now I can focus on what's approaching, including the 2011 World Cup."

ARU Managing Director and CEO John O'Neill said: "Quade is a genuine talent who is still at the front end of his career.

"He is part of the nucleus of young players we have seen mature quickly under the guidance of coach Robbie Deans and we believe Quade is important to the Wallabies moving forward.

"Last week against the Springboks we saw what this side is capable of in ending a 47-year hoodoo on the high veldt of South Africa.

"We hope to see further evidence of that development tomorrow night

"Reaching an agreement with Quade is also further evidence that we don't lose to rugby league players that we want to keep."

Deans agreed, saying "Quade's decision to remain in Rugby is great news for the Wallabies and Australian Rugby in general.

"It allows Quade to continue with his development as a player in our environment where we have no doubt he has a lot more to offer in the build up to next year's Rugby World Cup."

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