Sam Whitelock facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sam Whitelock

Whitelock in 2025
Full name	Samuel Lawrence Whitelock
Date of birth	(1988-10-12) 12 October 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth	Palmerston North, New Zealand
Height	2.02 m (6 ft 8 in)
Weight	120 kg (265 lb; 18 st 13 lb)
School	Feilding High School
Notable relative(s)	Ben Funnell (cousin) Adam Whitelock (brother) George Whitelock (brother) Luke Whitelock (brother)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2008–2023 Canterbury 22 (15) 2010–2023 Crusaders 180 (45) 2020 Panasonic Wild Knights 5 (0) 2024 Pau 13 (10) Correct as of 9 June 2024 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2007 New Zealand U19 4 (0) 2008 New Zealand U20 5 (5) 2010–2023 New Zealand 153 (35) 2024 Barbarians 1 (0) Correct as of 28 October 2023

Samuel Lawrence Whitelock (born on October 12, 1988) is a famous former rugby union player from New Zealand. He is known for playing as a lock, a key position in rugby.

Sam Whitelock played over 150 games for the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team. He made his debut in 2010. He was the youngest New Zealander to play 100 test matches. He also reached 100 international games faster than any other player in history.

Whitelock was a very important part of the All Blacks teams that won the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and 2015. This made him one of only a few players to win the Rugby World Cup more than once. He also won the New Zealand Rugby Player of the Year award in 2017. Sam Whitelock often played alongside Brodie Retallick, forming a very strong partnership.

Sam Whitelock retired from international rugby after captaining the Barbarians team against Fiji on June 22, 2024.

Sam Whitelock's Rugby Journey

Starting His Rugby Career

Sam Whitelock began his professional rugby journey early. In 2008, he was part of the Baby All Blacks team. This team won the world championship that year. He played five games and even scored a try against Argentina.

Later in 2008, Whitelock played his first game for Canterbury in the Air New Zealand Cup. His first game in Super Rugby for the Crusaders was in 2010 against the Highlanders.

Joining the All Blacks Team

In 2010, Sam Whitelock was chosen to join the All Blacks team. He made his first appearance against Ireland, coming off the bench. In that game, he scored two tries! He played ten test matches in 2010 and quickly became a regular player for the team.

Winning World Cups (2011-2015)

After playing five games before the 2011 World Cup, Whitelock was selected for New Zealand's 30-man squad. He started in the second pool game against Japan, which New Zealand won 83–7. He kept his starting position for the rest of the World Cup. This included the final game against France, which the All Blacks won 8–7, making them the 2011 Rugby World Cup champions.

In 2012, Whitelock became a regular starter for the All Blacks. He played in 13 out of their 14 test matches that year. He scored his fourth test try in a 32-16 win over South Africa.

In 2013, Whitelock signed a new contract with New Zealand Rugby for four more years. He and Brodie Retallick became a top-class lock combination. They started together eight times that year. Whitelock played his 50th test match in a 30–22 win against England.

Whitelock continued his strong performance in 2014, playing in all three tests against England, which the All Blacks won. He also played in eight more tests that year. In 2015, he scored an amazing 60-meter solo try in a Super Rugby game. He was then chosen for his second Rugby World Cup. Whitelock played in every All Blacks game during the 2015 Rugby World Cup, including all three knockout rounds. The All Blacks won the final 34–17 against Australia, making Whitelock a two-time World Cup winner.

More Achievements (2016-2017)

In 2016, Sam Whitelock played his 100th game for the Crusaders. He scored the first try in their big 85-26 win over the Melbourne Rebels. He also became the most-capped All Blacks lock, playing in 11 games that year. He passed Ian Jones' record of 79 tests as an All Blacks lock.

Whitelock was nominated for the best New Zealand Player of the Year award in 2016. In 2017, he was named captain of the Crusaders team by coach Scott Robertson. He led the Crusaders to their first Super Rugby title since 2008. They beat the Lions 25–17 in the final.

In 2017, Whitelock signed another three-year contract with New Zealand Rugby. He played 12 games for the All Blacks that year. For the first time in his career, he was named captain of the All Blacks for the final test of 2017 against Wales. This made him the 69th test captain for the All Blacks.

After returning home, Whitelock won two awards at the 2017 NZ Rugby Awards. He won Super Rugby Player of the Year and the overall best New Zealand Player of the Year.

Leading the Teams (2018-2019)

Sam Whitelock continued to captain the Crusaders in the 2018 Super Rugby season. In May 2018, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen named Whitelock as the captain for their three-test series against France. He led New Zealand to a 52-11 victory in the first test. Whitelock also helped the Crusaders win the Super Rugby title again in 2018, beating the Lions 37-18.

In the 2018 Rugby Championship, Whitelock played his 100th test for New Zealand on August 18, 2018. The All Blacks beat Australia 38-13. At 29 years old, he became the youngest All Black to reach 100 tests. He also played his 47th test alongside Brodie Retallick.

In April 2019, Whitelock extended his contract with New Zealand Rugby and the Crusaders until 2023. He also planned to play for the Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan for the 2020 Super Rugby season.

Whitelock was named in New Zealand's squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, his third World Cup. He captained the All Blacks in their 71-9 win against Namibia. He also played in the quarter-final win against Ireland and the semi-final loss to England.

Later Career and Retirement (2020-2023)

New All Blacks coach Ian Foster included Whitelock in his 2020 squad. Whitelock was the only player still active from the 2011 Rugby World Cup winning team. He played five tests in 2020. In 2021, he captained the All Blacks eight times because Sam Cane was injured.

In 2022, Whitelock became the second-most capped player in New Zealand's history, passing Keven Mealamu. He captained the All Blacks four more times. He and Brodie Retallick also set a world record by playing 64 tests together as a lock combination. Their last game together was a 25-25 draw with England.

In 2023, Whitelock was chosen for his fourth Rugby World Cup. He was the only player left from the 2011 winning team. On September 29, 2023, Whitelock became the most-capped All Black of all time with 149 test caps, passing Richie McCaw's record. After that, he became only the second male player in history to reach 150 caps, following Welsh lock Alun Wyn Jones. Whitelock's 150th test was a 73-0 win over Uruguay.

In the World Cup quarter-final against Ireland, Whitelock came off the bench and helped the All Blacks win a crucial turnover, leading to a 28-24 victory. He also played in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, where New Zealand lost 11-12 to South Africa. Sam Whitelock retired from international rugby after scoring 7 tries in 153 test matches. He then joined the French team Pau.

International Test Tries

Here is a list of the tries Sam Whitelock scored in international test matches:

Awards and Achievements

Super Rugby Success

• Super Rugby Centurion (played 100 games)
• Super Rugby Champion: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• Super Rugby Pacific Final Player of the Match: 2022, 2023

Individual Awards

• New Zealand Rugby Player of the Year
  • Winner: 2017
• Test Rugby Centurion (played 100 test matches)
• All Black Captain: 2017–2022 (18 tests)
• World Rugby Men's 15s Dream Team of the Year: 2022

In the 2025 New Year Honours, Sam Whitelock was given an award called Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This was for his great contributions to rugby and his community.

International Team Honours

• Rugby World Cup / Webb Ellis Cup
  • Winners: 2011, 2015
  • Runner-up: 2023
  • Third-place: 2019
• Tri Nations/The Rugby Championship
  • Winners: 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• Bledisloe Cup
  • Winners: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• Dave Gallaher Trophy
  • Winners: 2013 (2x), 2016, 2017, 2018
• Freedom Cup
  • Winners: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023
• Hillary Shield
  • Winners: 2013, 2014 (2x), 2018, 2022
• British & Irish Lions series
  • Winners: 2017 (shared title)
• World Rugby Team of the Year (New Zealand)
  • Winners: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
• Laureus Team of the Year (New Zealand)
  • Winners: 2016

Sam Whitelock's Family Life

Sam Whitelock is married to Hannah Lawton, and they have three children. When he is not playing rugby, Sam is a farmer. He plans to continue farming after his rugby career.

Sam Whitelock comes from a family famous for rugby. Many of his relatives have also played the sport:

• George Whitelock - His older brother, who played for Canterbury, the Crusaders, and the All Blacks.
• Adam Whitelock - Another older brother, who played for Canterbury, the Crusaders, the All Black Sevens, and a French team.
• Luke Whitelock - His younger brother, who has played for Canterbury, the Crusaders, the Highlanders, and the All Blacks.
• Ben Funnell - His cousin, who played for Canterbury and the Crusaders.
• Braeden Whitelock - His father, who played for the Junior All Blacks.
• Nelson Dalzell (1921-1989) - His grandfather, who played for the All Blacks.

All four Whitelock brothers went to school in Feilding, New Zealand.

See also

In Spanish: Sam Whitelock para niños