The Queensland Rugby Union has made the decision to release Queensland Reds winger James O’Connor from his contract, effective immediately. O’Connor joined the Reds on a two-year deal ahead of the 2015 season, however the QRU have granted the 25-year old former Wallaby a release from the final year of his contract, allowing him to return to play in Europe. “James has experienced a difficult time personally since returning to Australia and we’ve been aware of that for some time. It is disappointing that James was not able to reach his full potential while he was with us but after a great deal of thought, we believe it is in his and the Reds’ best interests that we exercise our release clause in his contract," QRU CEO Jim Carmichael said in a press release this afternoon. "Therefore, James will return to Europe where he feels the spotlight on him is less intense. In our discussions, we’ve agreed that should James return to Australia to play rugby in the future, the Reds wi