Former All Black Rugby Captain
Outstanding motivational and team building speaker
Biography
Former All Blacks Captain Sean Fitzpatrick had an extraordinary international rugby career that firmly established him as one of the best players in the history of the game. With their lows and many highs, his rugby days yielded vital leadership and team-building lessons for this sports legend. Today he shares those on stage as a renowned and entertaining speaker and as Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, a global organisation that uses the power of sport to transform the lives of children and young people
Sean’s remarkable sporting career began with his debut for the All Blacks in 1986 against France. He went on to become captain of the All Blacks in 1992 and to play in 121 international matches, including 92 Test matches, a New Zealand record. Sean also holds the record for most Test matches as an All Black captain (51) and has played in more Test match victories (74) than any other player.
One of the most durable Rugby Union players of all time, Sean was also one of the very best. Possessing excellent handling skills, he made a habit of popping up in the right place at the right time. He ended his career with an overall tally 55 points in Test matches and as the second-most capped New Zealand player of all time. He played his 92nd and last international on November 29, 1997.
In his talks, Sean is entertaining and frank about the determination and self-reflection that it takes to be a leader, particularly when faced with failure. His candour, intelligence and warmth capture people’s attention quickly and leave them inspired and energised.
Awards
He was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit by the Governor General in 1997. At the end of 1999, Fitzpatrick was named as hooker in Rugby World magazine’s Team of the Century. In March 1999 Sean was appointed Rugby Consultant to the NZRFU, responsible for player development and liaison. Sean is now based in the United Kingdom.
Punditry
He travelled on the Lions Tour as a pundit for Sky and is a regular columnist for the Sunday Times and as well as appearing regularly on television and radio.
Topics
Leadership
Be an effective, trusted leader
In this talk, Sean speaks about his experience and shares the lessons he learnt leading one of the most famous teams in the world, including dealing with the highs and lows and being part of (and living up to) the legendary All Blacks brand.
Communication and self-awareness
Leaders (and their teams) are nothing without effective communication, which for Sean means cultivating self-awareness so you can build trust, empathy and a winning growth mindset within teams. Here, he shares ways that leaders can build self-awareness with the aim of improving and democratising effective communication within high-performance teams.
Videos
Testimonials
“We were absolutely delighted with Sean Fitzpatrick, former All Black. Sean’s after dinner speech went down really well and he got a spontaneous standing ovation from the audience which is no mean achievement at this annual dinner. While clearly those with an interest in rugby thought he was brilliant I know from talking to other guests he went down equally well as his message was true to sport or business. His popularity was evident by the number who went to talk to him afterwards to sign autographs, take photographs with him etc., something that I have never seen before at any of our dinners. Sean was an absolute gentleman and was totally courteous to everyone and very easy to please” – Aeneas Lane, President of the Cork Institute of Bankers
“Sean draws parallels between sport and business. He mixes well with all levels of the organisation and puts the time in before and after his session to understand the business challenges and relate this to his rugby experiences” – Nestlé UK
“For a big man who ate other men for breakfast on the playing field, he is surprisingly a very good speaker. He speaks from the head and the heart. As with his game, what you see is what you get and for big organisations this is great to listen to” – Heinz
“A fantastic day, delivered by a real professional!! Thanks for all your efforts on Monday, really appreciate it. It must be a great feeling to be still winning new fans even though the boots are hung up! Best of luck this year and I will certainly be recommending you to some of my business contacts.”– John Russell, P& G Professional Care UK and Ireland
“…thanks for a fantastic presentation in Wella Ireland yesterday. You delivered exactly what was asked of you and we achieved what we set out to achieve; for our Elite customers to leave feeling positive, enthused and motivated. Feedback from our top customers has been extremely positive. You were a pleasure to work with” – Lisa Corrigan, Senior Marketing Executive, Wella Ireland
Former All Black Rugby Captain
Related Speakers...
- Leadership & Management
- Motivation
- Sport
- Wellbeing
