Wendell Sailor

Wendell Sailor

Sailor in April 2012
Personal information
Full name	Wendell Jermaine Sailor
Nickname	Big Dell
Born	(1974-07-16) 16 July 1974 (age 42) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Playing information
Height	191 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	106 kg (16 st 10 lb)
Rugby league
Position	Wing
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1993–01 Brisbane Broncos 189 110 1 0 442 2008–09 St. George Illawarra Dragons 33 17 0 0 68 Total 222 127 1 0 510 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1994–01 Australia 16 17 0 0 28 1996–01 Queensland 14 1 0 0 4 1997 Queensland (SL) 3 1 0 0 4 1997 Australia (SL) 5 4 0 0 16 2010 Indigenous All Stars 1 1 0 0 4
Rugby union
Position	Wing
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1998–99 Leeds Tykes 13 15 0 0 75 2002–05 Queensland Reds 47 12 0 0 60 2006 NSW Waratahs 8 4 0 0 20 Total 68 31 0 0 155 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2003–06 Australia 37 13 0 0 65
Source: NRL Stats

Wendell Jermaine Sailor (born 16 July 1974 in Brisbane, Queensland) is an Australian former professional rugby football player who represented his country in both rugby league and rugby union – a dual code international. He is an indigenous Australian Torres Strait Islander.

Sailor's large frame and bullocking style changed the way wingers played rugby league in the late nineties. His big-money move from the Brisbane Broncos to the Queensland Reds in 2001 created many headlines, as did his move at the end of the 2005 Super 12 season to the New South Wales Waratahs. He has often attracted public attention during his career, none more so than in 2006 after the return of a positive drug test following the Waratahs v Brumbies match at Aussie Stadium on 16 April 2006. This put an end to his rugby union career as he received a two-year suspension from all forms of rugby. He successfully returned to rugby league in May 2008 with NRL club St George Illawarra Dragons once his ban expired, playing an additional two seasons under his old coach at Brisbane, Wayne Bennett, before retiring.

In 2010, Sailor was a competitor in the second season of the Channel Seven series Australia's Greatest Athlete, in which he finished in last place. In 2011, Sailor co-hosted the third season alongside Mark Beretta.

Sailor grew up with his adoptive parents in Sarina, Queensland. He never knew his father and knew nothing of him apart from his West Indian heritage.