Damien Fitzpatrick is a Former NSW Waratah (72 games), he also played in France, and he was the Head of the Rugby Union Players Association 2019-20.

Damien is described as “A hard worker who leads by example”.

Damien is famous for coming back from injuries that most players never recover from, and he has been described as the embodiment of “Grit”. Damien underwent three knee reconstructions. He was advised against playing rugby again, however he fought his way back into the Australian system after rebuilding his career in Lyon, France.

Following retirement, Damien is the Founder of PILLAR Performance. Where, considering his history of injuries, a lot of the company’s products focus on joint health, flexibility, and longevity.

More about Damien Fitzpatrick

Damien continues to grow and develop PILLAR Performance. He is driven by the need to help educate people on the need for micronutrition in high-performance with the help of his team of experts. His desire is to have this element of sports nutrition become as highly regarded as its macro counterpart.

As an athlete, Damien had been using supplements of all sorts from a young age. After several knee surgeries, turning to fish oil was extremely beneficial, allowing him to play much longer than his body should have allowed. Damien came to see that macro-nutrition (protein powder etc) was developed and packaged for elite use, while micro-nutrition was not. It gave him the inspiration to address this gap in the market.

Damien’s major injuries in the early stages of his career taught him hard personal lessons. As an athlete, you're only as good as your body allows you to be and unfortunately for a long time, Damien’s was failing him. The disappointment of back-to-back Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears is difficult to put into words, Damien has learned a lot about himself.

Additional information

Damien retired last year after playing 73 matches for the Waratahs and is now doing some very innovative things in the clean sport space which has seen him partner with the likes of the Broncos, Roosters and GWS Giants already.

His sports micronutrients range PILLAR Performance is not only getting recognition for being HASTA certified, but also for their innovations. Their MOTION ARMOUR product for example uses a patented eggshell membrane formula to help protect and defend joints.

His career for the Waratahs alone spanned over a decade, with stints in France for both Stade Francais and Lyon.  

He is also infamous for a series of injuries and subsequent comebacks – including three ACL tears. He may also be the only professional rugby player to have come back from a tibial osteotomy – a six hour surgical procedure with an eccentric French surgeon that left him with metal in his leg and no idea as to whether he would be able to play again. Damien returned and played for seven years following this procedure.

Damien Fitzpatrick’s Book recommendation

The Messy Middle by Scott Belsky – “Finding your way through the most crucial part of any bold project or new venture”