Editing Sean Fitzpatrick (section)

==Early rugby career==
A product of the powerful [[Auckland Rugby Football Union|Auckland]] provincial side, Fitzpatrick made his international debut as one of the "Baby Blacks" in the 1986 Test series in France. Although most of the regular starting fifteen for New Zealand had been suspended following the unauthorised [[New Zealand Cavaliers]] tour of South Africa, the All Blacks won, and a number of new faces made their mark on the selectors. Despite this start, Fitzpatrick went into the [[1987 Rugby Union World Cup]] as second choice to captain [[Andy Dalton (rugby union)|Andy Dalton]]. Dalton missed the early stages of the tournament due to injury, and although he recovered in time for the knockout stages, Fitzpatrick kept his place in the team, leaving scrum-half [[David Kirk]] to skipper the side to victory against [[France national rugby union team|France ]]in the final at [[Eden Park]] in Auckland.