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Sam and Hannah Whitelock list their ‘trophy farm’
Riverbank Station is Sam and Hannah Whitelock’s cattle and sheep farm in Hawke’s Bay. It's been listed for sale.
Former All Black captain Sam Whitelock played more than 150 tests for New Zealand. In his later playing years he also managed to carry out his role as a Farmstrong ambassador, and get back to farming an 833ha breeding and fishing property in Hawke’s Bay.
But Whitelock and his wife Hannah report they now have “an exciting opportunity on the multigenerational family dairy farm in the Manawatū”, so they’ve just listed Riverbank Station in Rissington district, to the west of Napier.
Their property features in the latest Country magazine produced by Bayleys. The Whitelocks bought the farm eight years ago, but initially leased the property, returning to run it more recently.
Bayleys’ Hawke’s Bay rural specialist Tony Rasmussen says the station has been running Angus beef cattle (breeding and finishing) and finishing lambs. He says it’s rare for such a well-located property to come on the market in the district.
“This truly is a trophy farm that has seen significant capital investment that the new owners will reap the rewards of. All in close proximity of Napier city and its amenities.”
Rasmussen says the station is renowned for its “excellent trout fishing” and is handy to the Kaweka Ranges for Sika deer hunting - there are also red deer on the property.
The main homestead is a large, four-bedroom character home built in the 1890s on a terrace overlooking the Mangaone River. Rasmussen says it has been well maintained and features native timbers. And, with its open-plan farmhouse kitchen-dining area, the house is well suited to family living.
Sam Whitelock has made many videos for Farmstrong, a nationwide wellbeing programme for the rural community.
The Whitelocks run Angus beef cattle (breeding and finishing).
The property also has a modern five-bedroom manager’s home, plus a three-bedroom stock manager’s house. And there are shearers’ quarters near the woolshed at the bottom end of the property.
Recent farm improvements under the Whitelock’s ownership include “a big investment in tidying up infrastructure”.
“More than 40km of new conventional fencing has been completed, including boundary and laneway fences to improve cattle movement. And he has tidied up an existing cattle yard, and added an impressive new set of cattle yards at the top of the farm.”
The farm spreads over 833ha and has 6km of road frontage.
There are also new sheep yards at the woolshed, and a regular re-grassing programme has kept a high level of pasture production.
The listing says consent is in place to irrigate 45ha using water from a substantial storage dam. This could lead the way to introduce crop farming.
The farm has 6km of road frontage to Puketitiri Rd, plus a network of ATV tracks and laneways that streamline stock movement.
Riverbank Station, at 2152 Puketitiri Rd, Rissington, Hawke’s Bay has been offered for sale by tender, with a closing date of November 12, 2025.
The Whitelocks have undertaken numerous infrastructure improvements in recent years, including building more than 40km of conventional fencing.
There are three houses on the station, plus shearers’ quarters.
The manager’s house has five bedrooms and a large farmhouse kitchen.
Riverbank Station has large areas of flat land, which ensures a high level of pasture production.
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