Mitch Eadie

Mitch Eadie
Birth nameMitchell Eadie
Date of birth (1992-07-06) 6 July 1992 (age 32)[1]
Place of birthBristol, England
Height1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight105 kg (16 st 7 lb)
Notable relative(s)Jim Eadie (father)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock
Back Row
Number Eight
Current team Toronto Arrows
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2010–17
2011–12
2017–2020
2020–2022
2023–		 Bristol Rugby
→ Clifton
Northampton Saints
Bristol Bears
Toronto Arrows		 131
17
27		 (185)
(20)
(25)
Correct as of 19 March 2023
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2011-13 Scotland U20 9 (0)
Correct as of 3 April 2018

Mitch Eadie (6 July 1992) is an English professional rugby union player who currently plays for the Toronto Arrows of Major League Rugby (MLR) in North America. He has previously played for Premiership Rugby sides Bristol Bears and Northampton Saints.

Career

Son of Bristol Rovers F.C. Jim Eadie, Mitch nearly followed in his father's footstep with the round ball game but soon developed a keen interest in the oval ball and impressed Bristol Rugby coach Liam Middleton.[2]

Joining Bristol aged just 18, the utility forward has since racked up 131 appearances for the West Country side, scoring 37 tries in that time.[3]

Qualifying for Scotland U20, Eadie played for the age-group side nine times between 2011 and 2013.[3]

Eadie secured a regular place within the Bristol starting line up in years to come while the side played in the RFU Championship, scooping Players' Player of the Year from his peers at the club on two occasions.[4]

He helped the side secure promotion to the Aviva Premiership after trying for seven years at the end of the 2015/16 season.[5]

Despite their promotion to the Premiership, Bristol struggled in the 2016/17 season and after being relegated would be playing in the RFU Championship again in 2017/18 despite Eadie and his side's best efforts.[6] The side knew they faced relegation in round 20 of this season's Aviva Premiership but Eadie was determined to battle on and perform for the Bristol fans in the season's closing games, stating the players "owe[d] it to the fans".[7]

It was announced on 2 February 2017 that Eadie would leave his long-term home of Bristol to join Aviva Premiership side Northampton Saints for the 2017/18 season alongside fellow Bristol Rugby player Jamal Ford-Robinson.[6][8]

On 29 January 2020, it was announced Eadie would be returning to Bristol Bears, who had since returned to the top flight, on a two-year deal from the 2020-21 season.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Mitchell William Eadie". ESPN scrum.
  2. ^ "Young Gun: Mitch Eadie – Bristol No.8 - The Rugby Paper". www.therugbypaper.co.uk. 8 December 2012.
  3. ^ a b "All time stats Mitchell Eadie". Statbunker.
  4. ^ "Saints sign duo into squad". www.northamptonsaints.co.uk.
  5. ^ "Bristol Rugby secure promotion despite defeat on home turf". ITV. 25 May 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  6. ^ a b Cotton, Steven (6 May 2017). "It's official: Bristol Rugby have been relegated to the Championship".
  7. ^ "Bristol Rugby's Mitch Eadie: We owe the fans one last big performance". 5 May 2017.
  8. ^ Cotton, Steven (5 May 2017). "Departing Mitch Eadie on a potential Bristol Rugby return: Never say never". bristolpost. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  9. ^ "Pat Lam brings former Bristol Bears fan favourite Mitch Eadie home from Northampton Saints". Bristol Post. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2020.