Patrick Tuipulotu- What a Lad

Patrick Tuipulotu- What a Lad

March 11, 2026 · 1h 17m · Season 7 · Episode 311

About this episode

Patrick Tuipulotu shares his journey in rugby, discussing his career highs and lows, personal challenges, and lessons learned.

Patrick Tuipulotu has been one of the most respected forwards in world rugby for over a decade. A powerful lock known for his physicality, leadership and work ethic, Patrick has built an incredible career with the Blues and the All Blacks, playing more than 50 tests for his country and captaining the Blues to Winning A Super Rugby title. In this episode of What a Lad, Patty opens up like never before. From the highs of becoming an All Black to the setbacks that nearly ended his career, there are some unbelievable stories in this one. Some parts that stood out for me in this episode were… - Growing up in Auckland and how his dad shaped his work ethic - Switching from basketball to rugby and discovering First XV footy - The moment John Kirwan told him he was an All Black - The brutal injuries he’s battled throughout his career - Missing the 2015 Rugby World Cup and how hard that was to take - The mistake that cost him the chance to play the Lions - The false positive drug test that nearly led to a four year ban - Winning championships with the Blues and leading the club - His perspective on rugby, family and life after the game This episode is full of honesty, perspective and some…

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