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Scott Higginbotham

Scott Higginbotham (born 5 September 1986) is a retired Australian rugby union player. Capped 32 times for Australia's national team, the Wallabies, Higginbotham's usual positions are blindside flanker and number eight.

Scott Higginbotham
Higginbotham during the Scotland test, June 2017
Date of birth (1986-09-05) 5 September 1986 (age 38)
Place of birthPerth, Western Australia
Height195 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Weight110 kg (243 lb; 17 st 5 lb)
SchoolThe Southport School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker, Number 8
Current team Ricoh Black Rams, Reds
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2007 Ballymore Tornadoes 3 (15)
2008–12, 2017–19 Reds 100 (130)
2013–2015 Rebels 45 (75)
2015 Brisbane City 6 (15)
2015–19 NEC Green Rockets 28 (55)
2019–2021 Union Bordeaux Begles 44 (50)
Correct as of 14 April 2021
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2010–2017 Australia 34 (40)
Correct as of 17 June 2017
National sevens team
Years Team Comps
2007–2008 Australia

Higginbotham held the record for highest try-scoring forward in Super Rugby history until June 2023.

Early life

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Higginbotham was educated at The Southport School, on the Gold Coast, Queensland. His mother was born in Fiji and is part-Fijian, which made him eligible to play internationally for Fiji, something which Higginbotham contemplated before being accepted into the Wallabies.[1]

Career

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In 2007–2008, Higginbotham played international rugby sevens for the Australian national rugby sevens team.[2]

In 2007, Higginbotham was the Queensland Reds Academy Player of the Year,[3] and made his Super 14 debut with the Reds the following year against the Bulls. Higginbotham was an integral member of the Reds team that won the Super Rugby championship in 2011.[4]

In August 2010, Higginbotham was named as a reserve for Australia to play against South Africa in Pretoria.[5] Higginbotham made his international test debut for the Wallabies against France on 27 November 2010 at the State de France.[3]

In 2013, Higginbotham commenced a two-year contract for the Melbourne Rebels.[6][7][8] Higginbotham was expected to bring size and versatility to the Rebels loose-forwards. Rebels coach Damien Hill said that "[In Higginbotham] you've got one of the best ball-running, lineout jumping options in Australian rugby."[9] Hill praised Higginbotham for his "aggression and intent at contact".[10] Throughout 2013, Higginbotham acted as fill-in captain for the injured Rebels' skipper Gareth Delve, and in 2014 Higginbotham was officially announced as the captain for the Rebels, a position he held for the remainder of his tenure with the club.[11] In his final Super Rugby campaign at the Rebels, Higginbotham surpassed Owen Finegan as the leading try-scoring forward in Super Rugby history,[12] and was awarded the 2015 Growden Medal Award for being the most consistent player among the Australian provinces.[13]

In 2015, Higginbotham left the Melbourne Rebels after signing a two-year contract with the NEC Green Rockets, based in Abiko, Chiba, Japan.[4]

Higginbotham signed a three-year contract in 2016 to return to the Queensland Reds for the 2017 Super Rugby season. On 1 February 2018 Scott Higginbotham was named captain of the Queensland-based side. On 1 June 2019 Scott Higginbotham made his 100th appearance for the Queensland based side.

On 17 February 2019, Higginbotham left Australia to join French side Bordeaux in the Top 14 competition ahead of the 2019–20 season.[14]

Higginbotham retired in September 2021.[15]

Super Rugby statistics

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As of 15 June 2015
Season Team Games Starts Sub Mins Tries Cons Pens Drops Points Yel Red
2008 Reds 5 1 4 115 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2009 Reds 12 6 6 634 2 0 0 0 10 1 0
2010 Reds 13 13 0 991 4 0 0 0 20 0 0
2011 Reds 18 17 1 1348 6 0 0 0 30 0 0
2012 Reds 16 16 0 1240 5 0 0 0 25 0 0
2013 Rebels 14 14 0 1079 6 0 0 0 30 1 0
2014 Rebels 15 15 0 1200 4 0 0 0 20 3 0
2015 Rebels 16 16 0 1203 5 0 0 0 25 1 0
Total 109 98 11 7810 32 0 0 0 160 6 0

References

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  1. ^ Harris, Bret (30 May 2012). "Higginbotham had plan B: play for Fiji". The Australian. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  2. ^ "NRC Player Profile". redsrugby.com.au. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Scott Higginbotham". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Higginbotham excited to join Gill at Brisbane City". ABC News. Australia. 14 August 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  5. ^ ARU (26 August 2010). "Qantas Wallabies named to face South Africa". ARU. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  6. ^ Rebels Media Unit (18 May 2012). "Higginbotham signs two-year deal with the Melbourne Rebels" (Press release). Melbourne Rebels. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  7. ^ Schlink, Leo (18 May 2012). "Melbourne Rebels snare Wallaby Scott Higginbotham". Herald Sun. News. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  8. ^ http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-18/rebels-snare-higginbotham-from-reds
  9. ^ Tucker, Jim; Schlink, Leo (18 May 2012). "Melbourne Rebels sign Reds backrower Scott Higginbotham for three years". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  10. ^ Gould, Russell (18 August 2012). "New recruit Scott Higginbotham looms as Rebels' missing link". Herald Sun. News. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  11. ^ "SANZAR – Scott Higginbotham announced as Rebels 2014 captain". sanzarrugby.com. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  12. ^ "Wallabies Profile Page". rugby.com.au. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  13. ^ Growden, Greg. "Higginbotham crowned Growden Medal winner". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  14. ^ "Bordeaux size up Scott Higginbotham after failing to land Taufua". Rugby Pass. 14 February 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  15. ^ "Higginbotham 'more happy than sad' to retire". Rugby.com.au. 21 September 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
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