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Live sport on SN this weekendSam Whitelock: How wellbeing on the field and in the paddock go hand in hand
The Rural Roundup • November 6th, 2026 3:42 pm
Sam Whitelock | Photo: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
Former All Black Sam Whitelock says lessons from his rugby career have helped him adjust to life back on the family farm, as he continues his work as a Farmstrong ambassador.
The 153-Test lock has been involved with the rural wellbeing initiative for more than 10 years, promoting mental fitness, balance and connection among farming communities.
He believes the principles of high performance apply well beyond sport, with small, consistent improvements making a difference.
“Mental wellness, it's just the same as being fit,” he told The Rural Roundup.
“Just because you go for one run and you go ‘right I’m fit now’ doesn't mean you need to touch on it.
“If you're touching on it all the time, little bits often, it actually accumulates and that's where you get real benefit.”
Sam Whitelock | Photo: Anthony Au-Yeung/Photosport
Having retired after the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Whitelock opened up about adjusting to life outside professional rugby.
He had time to prepare for retirement and leaned on advice from other former All Blacks including Ali Williams, who told him the transition could take years.
“He said ‘look when I finished it took me two years. You kind of go into the wilderness for two years and then after two years you’re kind of settled’ and I can understand now being two years out exactly what he meant with those comments.”
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Whitelock also revealed how professional rugby players in New Zealand are slowly prepared to step away from the game when the time comes.
“As rugby players in New Zealand, we actually get an allocation of a couple of hours every week which is our personal development window to prepare ourselves for life once rugby does stop because I think the average career of a rugby player is four years.
“The rate of depression, financial hardship and all those big ones do go up the longer you are in a rugby environment.
“So the cool thing is I was aware of it and spent some time and got a good plan with some people I trusted and out the other side now.”
Listen to the full interview below:
