Stirling Mortlock

Stirling Mortlock began his rugby journey at just four years old with Lindfield Juniors, later representing Gordon Juniors through the U10s to U16s. A student at The King’s School, Stirling returned to Gordon in 1995 to play Colts, and by age 20, he was selected by Rod Macqueen to tour Argentina with the Wallabies in 1997.

He joined the ACT Brumbies in 1998, making his Test debut for Australia in 2000 – a breakout year in which he became the fastest Wallaby to reach 50 and 100 Test points, and set a new mark for most points and penalties in his first five Tests.

Known for his powerful running and match-winning ability, Stirling made history by becoming the first Australian to score 20+ points in four consecutive Tests. He played a pivotal role in the Wallabies’ iconic Bledisloe Cup and Tri-Nations victories in 2000, famously kicking the winning penalty against South Africa in Durban.

In the 2003 Rugby World Cup, he delivered a defining moment with an 80-metre intercept try against the All Blacks, earning man-of-the-match honours and sending Australia to the final.

Appointed Brumbies captain in 2004, Stirling led the team to its second Super 12 title. He was named the 73rd captain of the Wallabies in 2006, leading Australia to several notable victories, including reclaiming the Cook Cup from England.

By 2007, Stirling had notched his 50th Test and was selected to captain the Wallabies at the Rugby World Cup in France. He finished his international career with 489 Test points—then third on Australia’s all-time list—and held the Super Rugby all-time point-scoring record with 1,031 points.

In 2010, he joined the Melbourne Rebels as inaugural captain, scoring the club’s first-ever try and earning the Rod Macqueen Pursuit of Excellence Award. He retired from professional rugby in 2012.

Stirling’s legacy has been widely recognised. He was inducted into the Gordon Rugby Club Hall of Fame (2011), named in the “Greatest Wallabies Since 1987” team by the Sydney Morning Herald (2011), and appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2012. In 2022, he was formally inducted as a Brumbies Legend, joining the likes of George Gregan, Stephen Larkham, and George Smith.

Now a business leader and keynote speaker, Stirling engages audiences with stories about his unique experiences. In the process, he delivers insights that help motivate, inspire and refine goals, and ultimately, help drive high performance and success.

Stirling is a Founding Partner of XV Capital Advisory, a sports advisory and investment firm that invests in global sports innovation. XV Capital Connects, Accelerates and Invests in global game changing sports tech and innovation businesses.  He is intelligent, level-headed, passionate and extremely articulate. An in-demand keynote speaker for corporate events, lunches and after-dinner functions and a popular choice for grass roots coaching clinics across all sports.

Stirling Mortlock talks about:

• Leadership
• High performance
• Goal setting overcoming adversity
• Positive attitude after setbacks teamwork
• Getting the best out of yourself work place culture
• Work and life balance and rugby anecdotes