Sam Warburton

Sam is a former international rugby union player, who represented and captained Cardiff Rugby, Wales, and the British and Irish Lions.

Sam played and remained loyal to Cardiff Rugby for his whole career playing over 100 games. Sam played in the 2010 Challenge Cup Final when Cardiff beat Toulon to become the first ever Welsh team to win a European cup.

Sam also has 74 appearances for the Wales national team, captaining them for a record 49 games. Sam is also the youngest Rugby World Cup captain in history, aged just 22 back in 2011 when he led Wales to a famous Semi-Final.

Sam also captained Wales to another Rugby World Cup in 2015 where Wales reached the quarter finals, losing to South Africa with the last play of the game.

Sam was also announced captain of the 2012 & 2013 Six Nations squads when Wales went on to win the championship back to back. Sam captained Wales for a total of 5 Six Nations campaigns.

Sam also captained the British & Irish Lions in 2013, which made him the youngest ever Lions captain aged just 24. The Lions won the series which was their first victory for 16 years. He then led the Lions again in 2017 to New Zealand. New Zealand were back to back World champions, winning the RWC in 2011 and 2015. The series finished a draw which was a huge success for the Lions. Sam is only one of two people to ever captain the Lions twice in their 125+ year history.

Sam only played until the age of 28, and officially announced his retirement at just 29 due to injury.

Sam was awarded an OBE by His Royal Highness, Prince William in 2019 for Services to Rugby.

Sam also has 3 honorary degrees from Cardiff University, Cardiff Metropolitan University & The University of South Wales for his contribution to rugby.

Since his playing career, he has continued his journey in rugby as a broadcaster for BBC & BT Sport and has also become a Sunday Times Best Selling Author with his autobiography ‘Open Side’.

Sam also writes for The Times Newspaper and is also on the board for Cardiff Rugby and The British & Irish Lions Trust.

Sam was also in the Wales national team coaching staff as a breakdown skills coach from 2019-1020.

Since he was 15 years old, strength and conditioning has been a massive passion and his work ethic and diligence in this area has contributed enormously to his success.

Sam had a desire to create SW7 Academy, so he had a platform to contribute, educate and develop people in the exact same principles that he used to fulfil his potential and become a World Class athlete.