Rugby: Cipriani in trouble for night out

Danny Cipriani. Photo / Getty Images

Melbourne Rebels players Danny Cipriani and Richard Kingi have agreed to stand down from Friday's game against Queensland following a late night out on the town in Sydney.

Rebels chief executive Ross Oakley said the pair had failed to uphold an agreement made by the players following Saturday night's game against the Waratahs.

"Both players defied a team directive to abstain from staying out late on Saturday night, given the six-day break ahead of our next game," Oakley said.

"The club fully supports the decision of our Player Standards Group."

It's not England import Cipriani's first offence, having been fined by the club for a nightclub incident in February.

On that occasion, the star five-eighth was fined one match payment after fronting the Rebels' players standards group for helping himself to a bottle of vodka from a Melbourne nightclub.

"We have taken this action due to a breach of team protocol," Rebels club captain Tim Davidson said.

"We are very protective of our standards and we are disappointed that these players have put themselves before the team."

Speculation has been mounting for some time that Cipriani will not be in Melbourne beyond the 2011 Super Rugby season.

The Rebels have already secured Wallabies fullback Kurtley Beale for next season and are eyeing off young Australian winger James O'Connor.

Both players have played at pivot for their Super sides.

Cipriani, an England international who has fallen out of favour with national coach Martin Johnson partly because of his antics off the field, has been linked to a number of clubs in Europe.

- AAP