Sam Warburton

Sam Warburton is renowned for his decorated career as a former international rugby union player. Playing for Cardiff Rugby, Sam also earned multiple caps for the Wales national team and the Lions, especially talented as an openside flanker, but occasionally playing as a blindside. Having since retired from the sport, Sam has enjoyed delivering punditry for the BBC and TNT Sports, along with being a keynote and after dinner speaker. When hired as a speaker, Sam can translate his experiences in elite sports into actionable takeaways for businesses – specialising in topics of high-performing teams, leadership and business excellence.

Esteemed for his career as a rugby player, Sam’s early career saw him playing for Rhiwbina RFC and Glamorgan Wanderers RFC, before earning caps for the Wales U18, U19 and U20 teams. Whilst playing in these junior teams, Sam began to hone his leadership skills, becoming the captain of all three teams and helping lead the U19 and U20 teams to the semi-finals of the World Championships. Sam made his debut as a senior in 2009 and went on to become the Captain of Wales for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He was also selected to be the Captain of the Lions for their 2013 tour to Australia, and again in 2017 for their tour to New Zealand. Sam was named as the Captain of the Lions aged 24, earning himself a place in the history books as the youngest-ever Lions Captain.

Retiring as the most capped Wales Captain with 49 caps, until surpassed by Alun Wyn Jones, Sam transitioned into punditry – sharing his in-depth knowledge of rugby for esteemed broadcasters such as the BBC. He has also starred on The Ruck Podcast, written a column for The Times and co-founded the SW7 Academy – a leading fitness app designed to help people from all walks of life to train like professionals. In honour of his decorated career, Sam was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from the University of South Wales and was appointed OBE in the 2018 New Year Honours List. His experience in elite sports has allowed Sam to learn what it means to be a leader, and how to push teams to achieve peak performance. 

Now hired as a keynote speaker, Sam Warburton engages audiences with tales from his fruitful career as a rugby player and the skills that it helped him learn along the way. Sam translates the discipline, strategic thinking and mental toughness required in rugby into valuable lessons for business audiences. His talks cover how to build a winning mindset, maintain team cohesion and achieve excellence under pressure. Such topics make him an inspiring choice for organisations aiming to elevate their leadership and performance standards in competitive environments. If you are looking for a keynote speaker who delivers insightful speeches on leadership, peak performance and high-performing teams, hire Sam Warburton today!