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.jpg) Mitchell in 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Drew Alan Mitchell (1984-03-26)26 March 1984 (age 41) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft11+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 92 kg (14 st 7 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | St Patrick's College, Shorncliffe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Drew Alan Mitchell (born 26 March 1984) is a former Australianrugby union professional player. He played on the wing or as fullback. Up to the 2006 season he played for theQueensland Reds. He played for theWestern Force for the 2007–09Super 14 seasons. From 2010 to 2013 he played for theNew South Wales Waratahs. Since 2013 he has played forRC Toulon. He made his debut forAustralia in 2005 and is Australia's highest try scorer in World Cup history.[1]
Mitchell was educated at Strathpine West State School[2] andSt Patrick's College, Shorncliffe[3] and played his junior rugby for the Pine Rivers Pumas Rugby Union club,[4] going on to play rugby forUniversity of Queensland Rugby Club.[5] Mitchell went on to captain the Queensland Academy of Sport U-19 team as well as going on to be an Australian Schoolboy and Sevens international.[citation needed]
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Mitchell made his international debut for theWallabies againstSouth Africa in 2005,[6] after being selected after a season with theQueensland Reds in which he scored 11 tries and was named Australia's rookie of the year.[citation needed]
Mitchell's international career stalled after Australia's autumn international tour in 2005, and he didn't feature for the Wallabies again until Wales visited in 2007. By this time Mitchell had switched to newly formedWestern Force and impressed enough to gain a place in the Australia squad for the2007 World Cup in France. He scored seven tries during that tournament.[1]
Mitchell's domestic future again had a period of speculation when he was approached by theNSW Waratahs and theACT Brumbies ahead of the2010 Super Rugby season. Mitchell eventually signed for theNSW Waratahs, replacingSam Norton-Knight.[citation needed]
Mitchell dislocated his ankle and broke a bone in his leg after he collided withScott Higginbotham of theReds during their match on Saturday, 23 April and was initially ruled out of the2011 Rugby World Cup.[7] However, he subsequently made a full recovery and was included in Australia's tournament squad.[7] He made one substitute appearance againstIreland and in two starts scored one try against theUSA and two againstRussia. He injured his hamstring in the final pool stage match of the 2011 World Cup, missing the remainder of the tournament. In the lead up to the2012 Super Rugby season Mitchell suffered an ankle problem, and missed the Waratahs pre-season games.[8] He did not play any games in the first half of the competition, making only five appearances all season.[9]
In 2013, Mitchell agreed a two-year deal to play forToulon for the2012–13 Top 14 season.[10] Mitchell went on to make 81 appearances for the Toulon side, securing several European & French crowns, his final match being a Top 14 Final loss to Clermont.
Mitchell's international career turned to a standstill after he left theSuper Rugby back in 2013, but with theAustralian Rugby change of rules to the eligibility of overseas basedAustralian Rugby players underGiteau's law, Mitchell and Toulon teammateMatt Giteau were included in the Wallabies' squad for the2015 Rugby Championship.[11] With solid performances playing against the Springboks in the 24–20 win atSuncorp Stadium,[12] and the 27–19 win againstNew Zealand atANZ Stadium,[13] Mitchell was included in the Wallabies' 31-man squad for the2015 Rugby World Cup.[14]
Mitchell's last match playing for the Wallabies was in the 2016 Rugby Championship victory against the Springboks, coming off the bench after a groin injury.[15]
On 17 April 2017, Mitchell announced the end of his rugby career on Twitter in spite of previous reports of a possible return to theSuper Rugby.[16]
In February 2022, Mitchell participated in a charity match at Suncorp Stadium to raise funds for Tonga after atsunami devastated the island nation. After taking a number of heavy tackles from the Tongan side, Mitchell jokingly remarked that he "donated a hamstring and a rib to the Tongan relief fund", and also stressed that there was "no chance" of a comeback to the sport.[17]
Mitchell is now a rugby commentator for Stan Sport.[18]
