All Blacks test centurion Sam Whitelock will move to French club Pau for two seasons after the World Cup later this year.

Whitelock, 34, will join the same club younger brother and former All Blacks loose forward Luke represented after 2019.

The All Blacks lock, who has played 143 tests since 2010 and has captained the All Blacks on 18 occasions, is off-contract with NZ Rugby after this season.

Incoming All Blacks coach Scott Robertson made it known that he would like Whitelock to consider staying in New Zealand beyond this year.

Pau has been a popular destination for a number of All Blacks in recent years.

Conrad Smith, Carl Hayman, Ben Smith and Colin Slade also played for the club. Former All Blacks first-five Simon Mannix was also head coach until 2019.

Whitelock is the most capped All Blacks lock of all time and became the eighth Test centurion in 2018.

He made his Test debut in 2010, scoring two tries. Whitelock played in all seven All Blacks matches at RWC 2011 and again at RWC 2015.

He became the All Blacks’ second most capped player when he brought up his 133rd Test appearance early in the 2022 season.