A former England rugby player has been arrested on suspicion of raping a teenage girl.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police released a statement Wednesday morning following reports of an incident at a city nightclub, saying: “Officers were called shortly before 11 am on Sunday January 9, 2022 to report a sexual assault on a woman on Thorpeness Square in Manchester.

“A woman in her late teens was reportedly sexually assaulted. She is currently supported by specialist officers. A man was arrested on suspicion of rape and a 41-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of having administered a substance with intent to commit a sexual offense.

“The two have since been released on bail as investigations continue and a number of investigative leads are followed by detectives.”

Meanwhile, the wife of former England opening half Danny Cipriani has firmly denied any connection to the arrest. Victoria Cipriani, who is also 41, feared others may have mistakenly assumed a connection due to her age.

She posted on social media: “Neither Danny nor I have been arrested, and we have nothing to do with the reported case, anyway. We don’t know. The press has fallen on the wrong people and I ask them to leave us alone, immediately. It is extremely upsetting for so many reasons. Please share and thank you for taking note of this.

The Rugby Football Union declined to comment.