Australia news
Ioane reported to have signed for Stade Francais
ESPN Staff
May 2, 2013
Australia's Digby Ioane poses for a portrait session, Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane, Australia, September 18, 2012
Digby Ioane - in conflict with the Reds © Getty Images
Enlarge
Related Links
Players/Officials: Digby Ioane

Queensland Reds winger Digby Ioane has signed a two-year deal with Stade Francais according to reports on French radio station RMC.

The station said Ioane will join Stade Francais after a dispute with the Reds' administration over an unpaid third-party deal. The club denies he is owed any cash and countered that the player's off-field behaviour has caused the conflict.

"I have written to him three times legally," said Reds boss Jim Carmichael. "Digby Ioane is not owed money by Queensland Rugby."

Ioane's future has been subject of speculation for the last week after reports he had taken issue with Queensland Reds management. Reds' director of coaching Ewen McKenzie saying "there's some journalists out there who like writing speculative pieces without much substance so I will give it that much credence", but the player himself subsequently confirmed he wanted to leave at the end of this season - a year before the end of his three-season deal.

The saga then took another twist when Queensland Rugby Union officials said they wanted to question Ioane and his management after suggestions the Wallabies winger had been shopped around in contravention of his contract.

Greg Growden reported for ESPN scrum that "franchise officials have been concerned for some time … [and] that explains why the Reds weren't too impressed when Ioane began seeking additional payments".

And News Limited's Rugby Gold reported that Reds officials had been considering for "several months" whether to release Ioane to release contract money to make a bid for Wallabies utility James O'Connor.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Live Sports

Communication error please reload the page.

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices