DANNY CIPRIANI SNAPS
Star's strip club bust-up with our photographer
LOOK, here's the deal: I'm Brian Roberts, 42, News of the World photographer - you're Danny Cipriani, 21, the David Beckham of English rugby.
We each have a job. Mine is to take pictures of people our readers - including rugby fans - want to see.
Yours is to play well enough to get out of England's second-string Saxons and make it into the full national side.
What happens instead? In Glendale, Colorado, while you're touring with the Saxons, you grab me in a headlock after you come out of a 'show club' called Shotgun Willie's (the billboards advertise 'Best Breast of the West').
Meanwhile, two of your cronies attack a photographer colleague of mine.
If this is your plan to get back into England manager Martin Johnson's good books, I have to tell you that it may not work.
It's in the early hours of last Monday that we see you coming out of this club and take pictures. We're not being secretive - you can clearly see the flashlights.
Suddenly your mates chase my colleague, grab his camera and rip out the memory card. I shout to a club security guard: "Call the police! Someone is being attacked." That's when you wade in and grab me round the neck.
Now you're yelling: "What have you got pictures of me doing? What are they?"
I'm trying to tell you: "Look, don't be silly," but you keep on: "What are they? What are they?"
What have you got to hide? What, exactly, were you doing in the club?
That's when the police arrive. When you and your mates see them, you all go ballistic. The officers have to hold you back as you try to get to us, one tells you: "This is your last warning."
Eventually, the cops search you for the memory card but can't find it. They ask if we want to press charges, but we decide against it.
You do not mind being snapped coming out of The Ivy restaurant in London with girlfriend Kelly Brook so you have to expect to attract interest in other places.
Acting like you did in Glendale is not the fast-track back into Martin Johnson's reckoning.
Still, I'm sure you can make it. I look forward to meeting in the future - when I hope you'll be the first-choice star your fans know you can be.
This article has 12 comments
Cipriani is a prize chump. More interested than partying than playing rugby. Rot in the reserves where you belong.
By David. Posted July 26 2009 at 1:49 PM.
I think Danny has been shafted by England. They played him too early for England and instead of benching him, for the Saxons, they should have insisted he had his metalwork out and take the summer to recover
By Jill. Posted June 29 2009 at 11:32 PM.
that looks like a bath player in the pic too. they havent got a good rep either.
By benny. Posted June 24 2009 at 11:17 PM.
Fair play Brian, it just exposes what an arrogant twit Danny ciprani is. Ciprani created his own sleaze here folks.
He should never paly for england unless he can grow up
By Gav. Posted June 23 2009 at 6:12 PM.
Roberts, may you burn in hell or at least grow up and get a proper job. I'm not famous, but if I got out of a club and you put a camera in my face you'd need a damn fine proctologist in A&E to help you out that night. Get face cancer and die you bottom feeding ass clown.
By Bill Paxton. Posted June 23 2009 at 11:21 AM.
Brian Roberts, your a lowlife scumbag who deserves more than being in a headlock. you're no better than a petulant child saying "I'm going to tell on you" because they didn't play your rules. If Cips is doing something illegal then by all means expose him. As you pointed out Cips job is playing rugby and yours is being a See You Next Tuesday!! leave the poor kid alone.
By philindubai. Posted June 23 2009 at 9:30 AM.
Matt Jeffries needs to get a grip of himself.
By Dave Evens. Posted June 22 2009 at 8:29 AM.
Who the hell do you think you are invading people's lives like this, it may be your job but is this what you have really chosen to do. It is Danny Cipriani's basic right as a human to enjoy his life how he feels fit and spend his own private time in privacy. Mr Cipriani was clearly in US to get away from the likes of you. I hope the next picture you take is from the inside of your coffin. You make me sick.
By Matt Jeffries. Posted June 21 2009 at 9:47 PM.
Is there really much point in following around the 6th best fly half in the country? Do you not have anything better to do? Do you really think there's something unusual about a young rugby player going to a strip club? Thousands do it every week. Have you never done anything you'd not like your girlfriend to know about? Seriously, until this guy is playing better he's just not news.
By Simon Stovin-Bradford. Posted June 21 2009 at 8:30 PM.
It is because of his erratic behaviour that he is unpopular with large sections of the public, but more importantly his unpopularity with team-mates in whatever side he is happens to be playing for at the time. He is talented, but not at the level he thinks he is. Perhaps one day he will show a more mature side to his character and leave his petulant behaviour behind?
By David Hill. Posted June 21 2009 at 5:27 PM.
Brian, yes you both have a job. Danny's is to play rugby to the best of his ability with whichever team he finds himself and yours is to be a monger of sleaze. I hope you proud of yourself.
By Richard George. Posted June 21 2009 at 12:22 PM.
"The David Beckham of English rugby !" What a joke. More like the half-back with half a brain. It is no wonder that Martin Johnson can't abide him,and is choosing loads of players before Danny, and even his team-mates pick fights with him.
By Keith Price. Posted June 21 2009 at 12:44 AM.