Born: March 28, 1950 - Wellington
Died: September 29, 2020 - Wellington
Test record: 26 Tests (1970-72, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982) - 8 tries (32 points)
Tours: 1971 tour of Britain and France, 1972 World Cup, 1975 World Championships, 1977 World Cup, 1980 tour of Britain and France, 1982 tour of Australia and Papua New Guinea
Randwick legend and Wellington's Player of the Century, John Whittaker played 26 Tests for the Kiwis at wing, fullback and centre - spanning 13 seasons - and received his place among the NZRL Legends of League in 2012.
A 20-year-old Whittaker represented Wellington against Great Britain in 1970 and received his initial call-up for New Zealand for the World Cup later that year, featuring on the wing in the in the Kiwis' win over France and loss to Great Britain.
Whittaker was one of the heroes of New Zealand's famous 24-3 win over Australia at Carlaw Park in 1971, scoring two tries from the flank. He moved to fullback on the subsequent 'Grand Slam' tour later that year and played all six Tests as the Kiwis carved out series wins over Great Britain and France.
After scoring a try in the first Test against Australia at the SCG from fullback in 1972, he played all three matches at the World Cup at the end of the year - at fullback against France, and tryscoring performances on the wing against Australia and Great Britain.
A broken ankle suffered in a car accident ruled Whittaker out of the 1974 series against the Lions, but he returned for the first part of the 1975 World Championship Series. He scored a try in his first Test start for the Kiwis at centre against Australia, then reverted to fullback for the win over France and draw against Great Britain.
Whittaker withdrew from the squad for the second half of the competition later in 1975 but he was on deck for the Kiwis' next assignment, the 1977 World Cup. He came off the bench against Australia, scored a try from the wing in the loss to Great Britain and was on the flank again for the win over France.
Overlooked for the 1978 tour of Australia after playing much of his club and provincial football at loose forward, Whittaker made an impressive return to the New Zealand team on the 1980 tour of Britain and France. He played in four of the five Test matches at centre.
Whittaker wound up his Kiwis tenure as a 32-year-old in 1982, coming off the bench in both Tests against Australia and starting at centre in a 56-5 win over Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby.