Sam Whitelock will wave goodbye to the All Blacks after the World Cup. Photo / Photosport
When Sam Whitelock was playing rugby with his brothers while growing up in Manawatū, he never imagined he would play one first-class game.
A couple of decades and World Cup trophies later, Whitelock today announced an end to this chapter of his career – and something of a return to where it all began.
The 34-year-old will leave New Zealand rugby after this year’s World Cup and relocate with his young family to France, where he will link with younger brother Luke on a two-year deal at Top 14 club Pau.
Despite leaving the Canterbury region he’s called home since 2007 – making the lock the only current Crusader to have run out at Lancaster Park – Whitelock described the move as a “pretty easy decision”, and it was easy to see why.
There remain lofty targets for Whitelock to chase: a seventh Super Rugby title in as many seasons, and a third World Cup crown come October. But considering what he’s already achieved, what awaits and where it all began, his departure will come with no qualms.
“When I was at school and people were starting to say that you could potentially make a living out of playing rugby, I never thought that was a possibility,” Whitelock said. “I never thought I’d play one first-class game, never thought I’d play for Canterbury or any of those things. So to still be here now after a few years is very humbling.
“Rugby’s going full circle, going back to what it was when we were first growing up as little kids playing at home on the lawn. It’s an opportunity to catch up with Luke and his lovely wife, Claire, and it’s going to be a pretty easy transition having them there – they’ve been there for a couple of years so I’ve got a translator straight away.”
Whitelock will be aiming to gain greater familiarity with France through a long stay later in the year. Providing he maintains the durability that’s marked his career, he will leave the World Cup leading the All Blacks in caps – currently sitting five short of Richie McCaw’s 148 – and trailing only Welsh lock Alun Wyn Jones (170) in world rugby.
He’s also second on the Crusaders charts, set to make his 179th appearance against the Hurricanes on Saturday night, and concedes to having had an eye on Wyatt Crockett’s record of 203. With that number beyond his extensive reach and the end now within touching distance, Whitelock is focusing on repaying the guidance he received after heading south as a teenager.
“When I first arrived here at Rugby Park in ‘07, talking to some of the senior guys, they said, ‘It’s going to go so quick, you’ll blink and you’ll be halfway through your career’, and it’s exactly true. So I’ve been trying to pass on some of those words that were given to me to some of the younger guys and say, ‘Enjoy the challenges, enjoy the hard times, but also the good times’.”
There’s been no shortage of those, earning the Crusaders captaincy in 2017 and immediately leading the franchise to their first title in nine years, the start of the current golden run. Aside from all the celebrations, one highlight stood tall for the two-metre lock, one that featured prominently when considering his future.
“I had the privilege of playing for Canterbury and the Crusaders and the All Blacks at different stages with a brother or brothers,” he said, having joined George and Adam in Super Rugby before Luke made the quartet complete.
“It was amazing being here with the Crusaders when all four of us were here. There was always the drive of being better, but then there was that family dynamics chucked in. So if you were getting a bit grumpy with an older brother, a family nickname would come out and some of the other players would be like, what’s going on?”
The non-Whitelock members of the Pau squad will soon find out.