Players

Stirling Mortlock remains one of the key individuals in Australian rugby. With more than a decade of Super Rugby experience and nine years in Test rugby, the 31-year-old has been responsible for captaining the CA Brumbies and Wallabies in a time of mass transition. However, the potent outside centre has maintained his high standards to remain the world’s leading outside centre. Mortlock was sidelined for the first half of the 2008 Investec Super 14 season as a result of shoulder surgery, stemming from the 2007 Rugby World Cup, before returning to play his 100th Super Rugby match against the Chiefs at Canberra Stadium. The robust midfielder resumed his position as Wallaby captain for the domestic, Tri-Nations and Spring Tour Test seasons, playing at both inside and outside centre. Mortlock finished the Test season with three tries from his 13 appearances which in turn saw him nominated as a finalist for the coveted John Eales Medal.

Born in Sydney, Mortlock began his rugby career with Lindfield as a four-year-old. After attending the King’s School, Mortlock joined the CA Brumbies in 1998 and has become one of the stalwarts of Australian rugby. Having made his Test debut against Argentina in 2000, the barnstorming centre will long be remembered for his sideline penalty goal in 2000 against South Africa in Durban to win Australia’s first Tri Nations crown and his 80-metre intercept try at Telstra Stadium to knock the All Blacks out of the 2003 Rugby World Cup semi final. He succeeded George Gregan as CA Brumbies captain in 2004, before a knee injury robbed him of the opportunity to lead the side to their second Super 12 title. Mortlock, who also succeeded Gregan as Test captain, became the Wallabies’ 73rd captain when he took on the role during the 2006 Spring Tour and is currently third on the Wallabies’ all-time list of Test point scorers. He is a natural leader and remains the CA Brumbies’ highest all-time point-scorer (with 913 points) and second only to Joe Roff as top try scorer (49 tries).

Courtesy of brumbies.com.au