Former prop comes clean

Former Chiefs and Taranaki prop Mitchell Graham was one player not afraid of getting his hands dirty during a match.

So it should come as no surprise to teammates that he now owns a business distributing a range of disinfectants and hand sanitiser.

Graham’s promising professional rugby career has been on hold since he broke his leg playing in the Brisbane 10s in 2017.

Unable to fully recover from the injury, the 28-year-old, armed with a degree in chemical engineering, set out finding a post-rugby career.

‘‘I’ve always wanted a Plan B and it was ticking away at me what to do after rugby when I realised my rugby career was less likely to happen,’’ he said.

‘‘A friend suggested I take on the Australasian distributorship to supply disinfectant tablets to industry, clinical, domestic and agricultural customers.’’

Graham spent four months researching whether the product had a market before agreeing to the proposal.

He spent a year setting up the company, Worchem, before it was launched in late 2019.

With a huge emphasis in New Zealand on pristine cleanliness in workplaces and at home as a result of Covid-19, the timing could not have been better, he said.

‘‘I wanted to help people access a quality disinfection product in a practical and environmentally friendly way.’’

The tablets can be dissolved in water and sprayed on hard surfaces in hospitals and laboratories, shop counters, and farm sheds, as well as toilets and kitchens at home.

One tablet makes 1.5lts of disinfectant solution and the company also markets an alcoholbased hand sanitiser.

‘‘The tablets form appealed because there is not the problems of transporting large quantities of liquids and the worry of sloshing and spillages,’’ Graham said.

Gloves are needed when spraying the solution but it is not harmful to farm animals if they lick a surface, he said.

Graham said the solution can be sprayed on high volume areas, such as handrails, up to 3-4 times a day.

Graham played for Spotswood United, and the 2014 Mitre 10 premiership winning Taranaki team.

He played 44 games for Taranaki, and 25 games for the Chiefs.

Former Chiefs and Taranaki rugby player Mitchell Graham has found a career after rugby with his new business distributing disinfectant and hand sanitiser.