Chris Whitaker (born 19 October 1974) is an Australian professional rugby union coach and former international player. As of 2018 he is head coach of the Sydney Rays in Australia's National Rugby Championship, and an assistant coach with Super Rugby side the New South Wales Waratahs,Whitaker began his professional playing career in 1997 as a scrum-half for the Waratahs, where he remained for ten seasons. He also played for the Wallabies, but his Test career there was constrained for many years by the incumbent scrum-half and Australian captain, George Gregan. As such, he got minimal international game time but was in the match-day squad for many a year. In 2006 Whitaker moved to Ireland where he played four seasons for Leinster before hanging up the boots and taking up coaching.