Wendell Jermaine Sailor (born 16 July 1974) is an Australian former professional rugby footballer who represented his country in both rugby league and rugby union – a dual code international.
In rugby league Sailor was a member of the successful Brisbane Broncos team of the 1990s, with whom he won Premierships in 1993, 1997, 1998 and 2000. A wing, his large frame and powerful running made him a formidable opponent and prolific try-scorer. He represented Queensland in State of Origin and played for Australia (the Kangaroos) 16 times, including winning the 2000 Rugby League World Cup, where he was the top try-scorer and player of the tournament. He also played 3 times for the Super League Australia side.
In 2001, he moved to the Queensland Reds in rugby union, and later to the New South Wales Waratahs from 2006. He made his debut for Australia (the Wallabies) in 2003 and won 37 caps, including at the 2003 Rugby World Cup, where Australia lost in the final. In 2006 he failed a drugs test and received a two-year suspension from all forms of rugby. His contract with the ARU was terminated, ending his rugby union career.
He returned to rugby league in May 2008 with NRL club the St George Illawarra Dragons after his ban expired, playing for two seasons before retiring.
Since retiring, Sailor has worked in television presenting and has appeared in reality TV shows.
Sailor was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He is South Sea Islander (specifically Solomon Islander Australian) and West Indian descent. Sailor's son Tristan used to play in the NRL, he now plays for St Helens RLFC in the Super League.
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. His adoptive father is Torres Strait Islander.
In his inaugural year for the Brisbane Broncos, Sailor played in a handful of games, scoring three tries in his first season, though Sailor had limited involvement that year, the club won the premiership, defeating the St. George Dragons 14–6. After his impressive debut season, he won the Rookie of the Year award at the Broncos club.
The following season Sailor took part in more games, scoring 14 tries. Such a rapid improvement over the course of two seasons saw Sailor become a regular in the Broncos ranks. He quickly became a home crowd favourite in Brisbane because of his speed and power and would soon become a household name in the rugby league world. During the 1994 NSWRL season, Sailor played on the wing for the defending premiers Brisbane when they hosted British champions Wigan for the 1994 World Club Challenge. At the end of the 1994 season he was selected for the 1994 Kangaroo Tour of Europe. He played in the opening fixture against a Cumbrian side where he scored two tries. He then started off the bench in a warm up match against Leeds, before earning a starting wing spot in the next match against Wigan and then playing off the bench again against Castleford. Sailor was again promoted to a starting wing position for the match against Halifax, scoring two tries. He then earned his first Test cap against Great Britain, as a starting wing in their loss at Wembley Stadium in late October.
At the outbreak of the Super League war in 1995, Sailor along with the rest of his Broncos teammates and players of several other clubs, was aligned with Super League and so ineligible for selection in the 1995 State of Origin series or the end of season 1995 Rugby League World Cup. The following year, when all players were again allowed to be selected for representative football, Sailor's debut for the Queensland Maroons came in Game I of the 1996 State of Origin series. In Game II he played at fullback.
Following the 1997 defection Super League and all its clubs, Wendell had a stellar year in the rebel competition. He was the top try-scorer for the Broncos and helped them win Super League's expanded 1997 World Club Championship tournament and then the premiership, defeating the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 26–8 in the grand final. In the 1997 post season, Sailor was selected to play for Australia on the wing in all three matches of the Super League Test series against Great Britain.
After the Super League war ended, the Broncos won the inaugural competition of the National Rugby League, defeating the Canterbury Bulldogs 38–12 in the 1998 NRL grand final, in which Sailor scored a try. He then spent the Australian summer in England, playing rugby union for Leeds Tykes and scoring 15 tries in 13 games. Sailor also appeared in two of the Leeds Rhinos trial games, including the 'Festive Challenge' on Boxing Day in 1998. Playing Halifax, he had had a torrid time until the closing stages of the game when he inspired Leeds to grab a draw. England's Wigan club had tried to sign Sailor for a large amount, but he decided to stay with the Broncos.
In 1999 Sailor put in a man-of-the-match performance in the deciding match of the 1999 State of Origin series which saw Queensland retain the shield. At the end of the year he scored the match-winning try against New Zealand to clench the 1999 Tri-nations title for Australia. The following year Sailor was again the Broncos' top try-scorer (along with Lote Tuqiri). At the conclusion of the 1999 season, while on and end of season trip in Darwin, Sailor made a pact with his long time friend Kevin Walters to win the 2000 NRL Grand Final. He played for the Broncos on the wing and scored a try in their 2000 NRL grand final win over the Sydney Roosters, gaining himself another premiership ring. He was named the 2000 Brisbane Broncos season's Player of the Year and Best Back. In addition he received the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in the sport of rugby league.
More success followed for Sailor as he traveled to Europe to compete in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup for Australia. He finished as the tournament's top try-scorer as well as boasting two tries in the victory over the Kiwis in the final. He was named best player of the tournament. Following the victory, Kangaroo coach Chris Anderson stated that "he's up there with Eric Grothe among the best of all time".
Following the World Cup, many speculated that Sailor, who was off contract with the Broncos after the 2001 NRL season, would sign for a club in the Super League competition, as many Australian rugby league stars do. Shortly before travelling to England with Brisbane for the 2001 World Club Challenge, Sailor declared he was "leaning towards" switching codes following advice from rugby union convert and former Broncos teammate Peter Ryan. Talks also apparently began with leading English Super League clubs Wigan, Leeds and Bradford. Having won the 2000 NRL Premiership, the Broncos traveled to England to play against 2000's Super League V Champions, St Helens R.F.C. for the 2001 World Club Challenge, with Sailor playing on the wing in Brisbane's loss. The Australian Rugby Union were able to put up the funds to lure Sailor to rugby union, making him the first incumbent Australian test rugby league player to change to the 15-man game after decades of the opposite trend. Sailor ran 4,452 metres with the ball over the 2001 NRL season, more than any other player in the competition.
Sailor is one of a handful of elite players to score over 100 tries for the club. He became the record co-holder of most tries in a Broncos match, with four.
During the 2007 season at the Broncos' 20-year anniversary celebration, the club announced a list of the 20 best players to play for them over the two decades since their inception in 1988 which included Sailor.
On 7 February 2001, it was announced by the Australian Rugby Union that they had reached an agreement with Sailor regarding a switch to Rugby union. Sailor signed a letter of intent with the ARU in February as well as signing with the Queensland Reds. The deal, worth approximately $700,000 per year, was formally completed in July, with Sailor set to leave League on the first day of November. He scored his first try in the Super 12 in his seventh match, where he scored twice and narrowly missed out on a hat-trick.