Australian fly-half Quade Cooper has been fined approximately 32,000 euros by the Australian Rugby Federation (ARU) for openly criticizing the national team. The 24-year-old player, boasting 38 caps and a Super 15 victory with the Queensland Reds in 2011, labeled the Wallabies’ environment as “toxic.”
Cooper’s disagreement with the coaching decisions of New Zealand Wallabies coach Robbie Deans led him to express his reservations about playing for Australia. In a television interview last month, he declared that he wouldn’t participate in matches for Australia until changes were implemented to address what he perceived as a detrimental team atmosphere.
“I just try to give my best, that’s why I said I don’t want to be involved in that type of environment. From my point of view, in order to continue to progress as a player and as an individual, you have to be put in the best environment possible, and I feel that environment (that of the Australian team) is destroying me as a person and a player,” Cooper stated.
In addition to Cooper’s criticism, the Wallabies themselves questioned the coach’s choices, criticizing them as overly defensive. They also expressed regret over the absence of a dedicated training center for the Wallabies.
