Hard work has defined Adam Whitelock’s life – whether preparing to start in midfield for the Crusaders or helping someone buy their first home.
Now a real estate agent with Bayleys Sumner in Christchurch, Whitelock was the office’s top salesperson for 2024/25, a year after moving into the branch.
He finished his rugby career in 2017 after three seasons with Bayonne in France’s Basque region.
At 29, and expecting his first child with wife Tiffany, he decided it was time to return home and focus on family.
“It was a big change leaving rugby, it’s a massive part of my journey and I still love it, but it doesn’t define me, I’m more than just a player,” he said.
Whitelock knew the transition would be challenging but believed professional sport had prepared him well.
“It’s always in the back of your mind, you’ll have to find a job at some stage, but it’s still important while you’re playing rugby to make the most of it.
“You learn so much around hard work, teamwork and getting on with people, a lot of those skills are transferable.”
The couple settled in Sumner, where Tiffany is from. Whitelock initially worked in dairy farming in North Canterbury and then in rural banking for two years before moving into real estate.
“I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to achieve in the next career,” he said.
“I had some friends who were quite successful and I probably liked that the harder you work, the more reward you could get. Perhaps I take that from rugby,” he said.
He gained his real estate licence and began in Bayleys’ Christchurch office four years ago, starting in rural property before moving into residential sales.
Early last year he shifted to the Sumner office to focus on his local community and be a name for people to trust when selling or buying their house.
That move paid off, with Whitelock named the branch’s top salesperson for 2024/25. Still, he says the process matters more than the accolades.
“You make your calls, you give prompt communication back, you know your details and listen,” he said.
“It’s a big decision to sell or buy, a lot of emotions, so you’ve got to have a bit of empathy.”
He aims to repeat the achievement this year while growing his profile and team. But balance remains important.
He ensures he makes enough time to spend with Tiffany and their three children – Sophia, Louis and Henry – and prioritise his own health.
Most mornings begin at 5am with a run before helping get the children ready for school, before heading in to the office.
“In those first few hours, if you’re controlling your day then your days are set up, your weeks are set up and your years are set up,” he said.
He is currently preparing to run in next month’s Christchurch Marathon.
Resilience developed in professional sport has also carried over into Whitelock’s career.
“It’s good to reflect on things that might not go well, they’re sometimes your biggest learnings.
“You’ve got to go through a few things so you come back stronger.”
For Whitelock, the reward comes from helping others rather than any personal recognition.
He is active in the community, sponsoring the jerseys for the Sumner Wave premier side and supporting Cure Kids NZ initiatives alongside South Island engagement lead Will Hall.
He also serves on the Crusaders alumni committee, which has raised more than $200,000 for YouthHub Christchurch over the past two years through its annual Hall of Fame event at Te Pae Convention Centre.
“It feels good. When I was younger I had a lot of opportunities and support, so if it helps young kids, it’s the right thing to do,” he said.
Whitelock said he has found real estate mentally harder than playing professional rugby.
“There's so much to learn and you are sort of at the mercy of the economy, you never know when you’re going to get paid,” he said.
Hard work was instilled early in Whitelock and his rugby-playing brothers Sam, George and Luke, growing up on a dairy farm in Palmerston North.
“We would all chip in and get the job done. We would milk on Christmas Day to help out, give staff time off and cover until the job was done,” he said.
He remembers a childhood spent outdoors – hunting, fishing, playing backyard rugby and watching All Blacks tapes with his brothers.
“We were just normal kids playing rugby.
“We all had a bit of talent, but it wasn’t until we got to high school (Feilding High School) we started focusing that talent.
“When you start making rep teams through hard work and perseverance, then I guess those goals were becoming more of a reality that you could go on and play professional rugby.”
At 18 he earned a place in the Canterbury Rugby academy while studying for an accounting degree at Canterbury University, suddenly training alongside players like Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Aaron Mauger.
“That taught us how to train professionally,” he said.
Three years later he debuted for Canterbury against Wellington and went on to play 56 games and score 10 tries. He was part of Canterbury’s run of six consecutive NPC titles from 2008 to 2013.
He debuted for the Crusaders in 2009, going on to play 55 games.
“It all happened pretty quickly, I was 21, 22, living the dream really.
“I was just lucky to be in a good team where you could put your best foot forward.”
Many of his more than 100 professional matches were alongside his brothers. One standout memory was a 19-14 win over the Stormers in Cape Town.
“We beat a set of Stormers who had a lot of South African players at the time. We had come off a couple of losses and it was a tough game.
“All of us were on the field and we’d all played well and in a hostile environment against the Stormers who were on fire.”
“I just remember he was super fast and quick.”
Whitelock also played two seasons for the All Blacks Sevens, winning the World Series in 2014.
One highlight was scoring a try at Twickenham – 61 years after his grandfather Nelson Dalzell scored there for the All Blacks against England.
He attributed his selection in the side to his dedication and work ethic.
“It’s probably a reward for all the hard work and always being fit. My strengths were fitness and doing the basics – I wasn’t a super fancy player,” he said.
Former Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder once described him as “one of the hardest workers in this team”, praising his fitness and drive to improve.
Whitelock met Tiffany through former Canterbury coach Tabai Matson.
They got engaged just before Whitelock left New Zealand for French rugby in 2014, chasing a new experience.
Two concussions and a dislocated elbow restricted his playing time, but he said the experience was still special.
“It was awesome. The club I played for probably had the most passionate supporters – 20,000 of them would all sing,” he said.
IN THE FAMILY
Adam Whitelock was the real estate agent when his brother Sam, a former All Blacks captain, sold his Harewood property at auction for $2.45 million on March 3.
The Johns Rd home attracted competitive bidding before being purchased by Eric and Louise Wunderink, who said they were delighted with their multi-milliondollar acquisition.
