Sir Wilson James Whineray KNZM OBE (10 July 1935 – 22 October 2012)[1] was a New Zealand business executive and rugby union player.

He was the longest-serving captain of the national rugby union team, the All Blacks, until surpassed by Richie McCaw in 2014.

[3] Owing to his early career as an agricultural cadet, which involved considerable travel around the country, Whineray played for six first-class teams, including Wairarapa, Mid Canterbury, Manawatu, Canterbury, Waikato, and finally his hometown team, Auckland, for whom he made 61 appearances between 1959 and 1966.

[10][11] In the 1998 Queen's Birthday Honours, Whineray was appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (KNZM), for services to sport and business management.

[13] In November 2004, it was reported that Whineray was a top contender to replace Dame Silvia Cartwright as Governor-General in 2006.