PATRICK TUIPULOTU

Position
Lock

Blues debut
2014 vs Highlanders

Blues caps
104

Blues points
80

Born
23/01/93

Height
198cm

Weight
120kg

Province
Auckland

At two metres tall and 125kg, Patrick Tuipulotu is a hugely athletic and physical presence in the Blues pack. He played for St Peter’s College in Auckland and the NZ Secondary Schools team as well as the NZ Under 20 side in 2013.

Tuipulotu burst on to the professional scene in 2014 in spectacular style. In his first year of Super Rugby, he became the starting lock for the Blues and earned All Blacks selection later that year. After another impressive start to the Super Rugby season in 2015, Patrick had to withdraw from selection to the Rugby World Cup for surgery.

The All Black lock, following a challenging 2017 season, also suffered from a niggling shoulder injury that sidelined him for half of the 2018 Super Rugby season. He returned to the Auckland Mitre-10 Cup side to show typical hard-running and ball-winning form to earn an All Black return.

Blues fans know him to be a massive component of the big and aggressive Blues forwards pack, not only as a player, but a leader too.

Patrick was announced as Co-Captain of the Blues for the season along with fellow forward, Blake Gibson. His 2019 season was immense, regularly breaking defensive lines with his strong carries and crunching his opposition with solid tackles. Patrick forced his way into the All Blacks squad for the Rugby Championship and could not be denied a place on the plane to play in his first World Cup in Japan.

At the beginning of the 2020 season Patrick was named as the outright captain of the Blues and he had a massive season. He was awarded the Blues ‘Most Valuable Player’, named Captain for the North Island in the ‘North v South’ clash and nominated as the Super Rugby ‘Player of the Year’.

In 2021, Tuipulotu continued his fine form on the field as well as off it. Revered by his team-mates for his uncompromising style of play, his ‘lead by action’ captaincy and his professionalism, Patrick’s impact was sorely missed for a short spell during the middle of the 2021 season due to injury.

2021 also saw Patrick establish himself as a community leader. Loved by fans for his dedication to his heritage and his people, his hometown and its diversity, he was ultimately rewarded with delivering the Blues region its first title in 18 years.

After taking up a short-term sabbatical in Japan for the 2022 season, Tuipulotu returned to the Blues for the 2023 season. He joined the locking stocks as a senior figure after the departure of Luke Romano. His leadership, especially amongst the younger locks in the squad was invaluable throughout the season, despite picking up injuries which saw him spend several stints on the sideline. After trying to race back from injury to be eligible for World Cup selection, Tuipulotu has spent time rehabbing his arm to be fit and roaring for the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific campaign.