Sam Warburton's new life, childhood sweetheart wife and career after rugby
BBC pundit Sam Warburton was only 29 when he shocked the rugby world in 2018 by announcing his retirement. The Wales and British & Irish Lions captain had battled injuries throughout his career and he finally made the decision to quit the game a year after leading the Lions to a drawn series in New Zealand.
During an illustrious playing career, Warburton played 106 times for Cardiff and was part of the team that won the 2010 Amlin Challenge Cup. He won 74 caps for Wales, in which he was captain for 49, winning two Six Nations titles and a Grand Slam, while he remains undefeated as a Lions Test series captain.
Seven years later, Warburton has forged a successful career in punditry and is one of the main pundits for BBC's coverage of the 2025 Six Nations. Since retirement, he has also appeared on other channels, written for The Times, hosted his own podcast called Captains, and is a regular on the Rugby Union Weekly podcast.
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He also runs his own business, the SW7 Academy fitness programme, which trains athletes of all levels, and in 2023 returned to Cardiff Rugby as a board member. He spent nine seasons at the club and returned as a board advisor in August 2019, but it was short-lived when he joined the Wales coaching staff under Wayne Pivac for a short time. I went to Sam Warburton's new running club and 100 people turned up on the first night.
When the 36-year-old, who was awarded an OBE in 2018, was reappointed four years later, he said: "It’s a genuine honour to be able to join the Cardiff rugby board once again. I am fully committed to doing everything I can to help this great club and I am optimistic about what the future holds.
“From a season ticket holder at the age of 14, right through to being fortunate enough to captain the side, I’ve always remained extremely passionate about Cardiff – the club’s growth, its success and the vision to get back to where we belong.”
Despite taking on this role, he has ruled himself out of taking on a director of rugby job with Wales after his name was floated by former England coach Clive Woodward. He told Canterbury: "I’m heavily involved in Cardiff rugby now. Helping them with rugby matters and I love it.
"If I was being honest, I haven’t earned that right to do that role, I’m too inexperienced. That’s why I’ve taken on the Cardiff role because I do care about the game of rugby and it’s something that excites me.
“I’m flattered by what Clive (Woodward) said and I respect him a lot but there’s people out there more qualified with more experience that would be able to deliver in that role better than myself. I’ve got a lot on my plate right now so I don’t think I’d be able to juggle the role with what I’ve got going on either.”
Those other things on his plate, include a number of advisory and non-executive appointments. He can be outspoken, saying last week that there should be a relegation match in the Six Nations if Wales get the Wooden Spoon again this year. Speaking on the latest episode of the Rugby Union Weekly podcast, Warburton once again addressed the prospect of relegation. He has previously called for serial Rugby Europe Championship winners Georgia to be given the opportunity to play for a place at the top table. Read what he had to say here.
Warburton married Rachel Thomas in 2014 in a church in Newport and then celebrated with a reception at the Celtic Manor Resort. The couple have been together since their school days and even grew up in the same street in the Rhiwbina area of Cardiff. As for expanding on their family, Warburton said after Lily’s birth in 2023: "Three little ones and a dog - we’re done!”
Widely regarded as one of Wales’ best ever captains, the former Cardiff Rugby flanker revealed in 2022 that he has no regrets about retiring in his late 20s because it was the right time to put his family first. Speaking to former Love Island contestant Dr Alex George on his podcast, Warburton said: "People say, do you miss it? My short answer is no, not at all. I love that I did it, but do I miss it? Absolutely not.
"I loved it when I did it and I had no regard for my body when I played, I didn’t have kids. Rugby was my life. When you have kids, it just gives you a whole new perspective on life. I wasn’t able to play with my daughter. Just going on bouncy castles or carrying her up the stairs, I couldn’t do it. The reward of a long, healthy family life outweighed the risk of continuing to play rugby."
