'Danny wore that one and I certainly owe him a few drinks'

Ex-Wallabies international Drew Mitchell has recalled the boozy night out in Melbourne with Danny Cipriani which culminated in the ex-England player getting caught up in a media storm after leaning over a bar counter, taking a bottle of spirits and stuffing it down his trousers before getting caught.  

The nightclub didn’t report the theft to the police, believing the public humiliation that was the CCTV footage of the incident finding its way into the media to be enough of a punishment.  

Cipriani was eventually fined one match payment by the Rebels for the incident that took place in the early hours after a heavy February 2011 loss to the Waratahs in the Melbourne club’s inaugural Super 15 outing.  

Mitchell, though, got away without reprimand as he was never publicly identified as the person that was with Cipriani on that infamous night out. It is a story that the now-retired Wallabies winger has recounted on the latest RugbyPass Offload, admitting he owes Cipriani a few drinks whenever the pair next catch up. 

“I was Waratahs playing against the Rebels and we caught up after,” explained Mitchell, setting the scene as to how he hooked up with Cipriani eleven years ago for their night out. 

“We went to a club and I just remember we were having drinks, having a good time, enjoying it and basically we just weren’t getting served anywhere by anyone, it was almost like we were invisible because no one was serving us. Danny did a scan, said something to me and I kind of gave him the affirmation of ‘Yeah, mate, we’re good, do it’. 

“He has reached over the bar and has grabbed a bottle of I don’t know what it was, vodka or rum or something, and he has pantsed it. Then sure enough we get caught and have got to leave. 

“Danny was obviously in the tabloids back in England at the time and someone got the footage of the CCTV. I’m back home (in Sydney) and get a call from the (Waratahs) team manager who said, ‘Mate, if you are at home put on the TV now for the news’. 

“They had a dark vision of a nightclub with a circle lit up just around Danny to say, ‘This is him reaching over, grabbing it’. He clearly talks to someone next to him – who was me – and I kind of give him the nod and he does it. 

“The team manager is like, ‘Drew, that’s not you next to Danny, is it?’ I was like, ‘Well, do you want me to be honest or not?’ I said, ‘Yes, it is me, it’s 100 per cent me’.

“He is like, ‘Jesus, mate. Alright, the good thing for us is they have only highlighted Danny. Hopefully, no one notices that that is you next to him, so just keep your head down for the next few days and hopefully, for your sake and the Waratahs, that nothing comes of it’. Danny wore that one and I certainly owe him a few drinks when we get to catch up in the future.”

Cipriani is currently between clubs, having signed off from Bath at the end of the 2021/22 season ahead of a suggested move back overseas.