4 Jul 2014

Honey badger off to Japan

6:12 pm on 4 July 2014

Nicknamed the Honey Badger, the long-haired winger has reportedly been granted a release from the final year of his Australian Rugby Union contract to play with the Coca Cola West Red Sparks.

With the lucrative Japanese deal, Cummins will miss next year's World Cup and it almost certainly ends his hopes of adding to his 15 Test caps in the Rugby Championship.

The 26-year-old Cummins, who started all three Tests in the clean sweep of France last month but would have been under pressure to keep his position once Joe Tomane returned from a facial fracture, and with Fijian Henry Speight becoming eligible in September.