John Albert Whittaker[2] (28 March 1950 – 29 September 2020)[3] was a New Zealand rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s at international level for the New Zealand national rugby league team and the Cook Islands.
[1] From the Randwick club, Whittaker also played for Wellington a record 73 times.
[6] Whittaker made his international début for the New Zealand national rugby league team in 1970 and went on to play for the Kiwis in twenty four matches, including four world cups.
Despite suffering major injuries in a motoring accident, Whittaker made a full recovery and was recalled in the early 1980s after two years out of the national side.
[9] At the Wellington Rugby League's Centenary celebrations, Whittaker was named as their player of the century.