Canterbury captain Luke Whitelock made his return from injury against Auckland on Friday night, in a match that doubled as his second blazer game in the red and black jersey.

The No. 8 spent several weeks on the sideline with a medial ligament injury, but led the team in their final match of the Mitre 10 Cup regular season when Canterbury defeated Auckland 32-27.

The match at Eden Park was Whitelock’s 62^nd appearance in provincial rugby, a milestone recognised as a second ‘blazer game’, as it marks 50 appearances since the presentation of a players’ first blazer (achieved after 12 games). In reaching the milestone, Whitelock joins fellow Canterbury players Ben Funnell, Matt Todd, Ryan Crotty and Wyatt Crockett.

Canterbury Head Coach Glenn Delaney said it was special for the team to celebrate an important achievement for their captain: “Luke is such an integral part of this team, not just as a leader but as a player with an outstanding work ethic who consistently gives 100 percent to the Canterbury jersey.

“62 appearances is a fantastic milestone for Luke, and as a team it is important for us to acknowledge the contribution he has made to Canterbury Rugby over a number of years. He isn’t one to get caught up in individual accolades and remains firmly focused on the task at hand, but it’s certainly something he can look back on at the end of the season and be incredibly proud of”, Delaney said.

Canterbury Rugby sponsor, Sergios Menswear, supplied Whitelock with a customised blazer to commemorate the milestone, featuring embroidery of his name and the Roman numeral 62, along with the Canterbury Rugby logo. The blazer was presented following the match against Auckland, by teammate and cousin Ben Funnell, and with Whitelock’s parents both in attendance.

As Canterbury Rugby’s official formalwear supplier, Sergios Menswear have supplied blazers and clothing to both the players and board members for a number of years. They continue to support the team with their clothing requirements, which includes formal suit hire for many of the players, and are proud to supply pieces such as Whitelock’s personalised blazer to acknowledge significant milestones.

Whitelock made his provincial debut for Canterbury back in 2011. Throughout his career, the loose forward has been involved in five Premiership titles with the red and blacks, including consecutive titles in the 2015 and 2016 seasons as captain of the side.

Canterbury are now guaranteed to host a semi-final next weekend at AMI Stadium in Christchurch, but their opponent is yet to be confirmed.