Sean Fitzpatrick

All Blacks captain and hooker, 1987 World Cup winner, leader of the 1996 series win in South Africa.

Sean Brian Thomas Fitzpatrick (born 4 June 1963) is a New Zealand former rugby union player. He played for the dominant Auckland team in the late 1980s and 1990s, and won the first two Super 12 titles with the Auckland Blues in 1996 and 1997. He made his debut for the New Zealand national team (the All Blacks) in 1986, and went on to win 92 international caps. He was part of the New Zealand side that won the first Rugby World Cup in 1987. He captained New Zealand from 1992 until his retirement in 1997, winning a grim test series against the British Lions in 1993, reaching and losing the 1995 World Cup final, and winning a series in South Africa in 1996.

Quick Facts

Birth name

Sean Brian Thomas Fitzpatrick

Born

4 June 1963

Birthplace

Auckland, New Zealand

Relatives

Brian Fitzpatrick (father)
Rosanne Meo (aunt)
Connie Purdue (great-aunt)
Miriam Soljak (great-grandmother)

School

Sacred Heart College

Height

1.83 m / 6 ft

Weight

105 kg / 231 lb

Position

Hooker

Lore & Background

Fitzpatrick was born in Auckland on 4 June 1963, the son of Brian Fitzpatrick, also a New Zealand international player. He is the nephew of Rosanne Meo and the great-grandson of Miriam Soljak. Fitzpatrick's high school education was at Sacred Heart College, Auckland. As a primary school student he attended Mt Carmel Primary (Auckland).

A product of the powerful Auckland provincial side, Fitzpatrick made his international debut as one of the 'Baby Blacks' in the 1986 Test series in France. Although most of the regular starting fifteen for New Zealand had been suspended following the unauthorised New Zealand Cavaliers tour of South Africa, the All Blacks won, and a number of new faces made their mark on the selectors. Despite this start, Fitzpatrick went into the 1987 Rugby Union World Cup as second choice to captain Andy Dalton.

Dalton missed the early stages of the tournament due to injury, and although he recovered in time for the knockout stages, Fitzpatrick kept his place in the team, leaving scrum-half David Kirk to skipper the side to victory against France in the final at Eden Park in Auckland. In 1992 Fitzpatrick was awarded the captaincy of the All Blacks, a position he held until his retirement from test rugby. A first test match win against the Springboks since their return from isolation, plus series victories over a World XV and Ireland were dampened by the loss of the Bledisloe Cup in Australia.

The biggest event of the rugby calendar in 1993 was the British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. The first test went narrowly to the All Blacks, with Grant Fox kicking a last minute 50-metre penalty to steal a win. This was avenged in the Second Test by the Lions with their highest-scoring Test win in New Zealand. In the third test, Fitzpatrick faced the prospect of becoming only the second ever All Blacks captain to lead his team to a series defeat against the Lions.

The side were 10–0 down at one point, but recovered to take the match convincingly and with it the series. Unwanted history could not be avoided on the end of season tour of Britain however, as England picked up a win over New Zealand at Twickenham. 1994 was another up and down season for the All Blacks. South Africa were defeated 2–0 with one game drawn.

Reader's Guide

Sean Fitzpatrick is a legendary All Blacks captain and hooker, known for his leadership, durability, and success with Auckland and the Blues. He captained New Zealand from 1992 to 1997, winning the 1987 World Cup, the 1993 Lions series, and the 1996 series in South Africa. He held the international record for most consecutive test matches (63).

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Sean Fitzpatrick?

He was a legendary rugby union player and captain for the New Zealand All Blacks during the early 1990s. Widely regarded as one of the greatest hookers ever, he defined an era of dominance for his country.