CALEB CLARKE

Position
Outside back

Blues debut
2018 vs Waratahs

Blues caps
59

Blues points
115

Born
29/03/99

Height
189cm

Weight
107kg

Province
Auckland

Out of the Suburbs club in West Auckland, Caleb is a former Mt Albert Grammar star, where he played in the 1st XV backline for three years. He was also an Auckland school’s sprint champion. Caleb moved to the Blues via the ITC programme in 2018 after coming through the Blues development programme. He is the son of Blues and All Black great Eroni Clarke.

Caleb played for the New Zealand Secondary Schools team in 2016 and 2017. He has also featured prominently in the World Rugby Junior World Championship, winning the 2017 edition in Georgia and playing a second time in 2018.

Caleb made his debut in the NPC for Auckland in 2017, still aged just 18.

In 2018 Caleb completed his rise through the Blues U17, U18 and U20 squads to play for the title winning team at the Brisbane 10s. Not long after Caleb earned his full team debut against the Waratahs.

After a tilt at the Tokyo Olympics, Caleb re-joined the Blues squad for Super Rugby Aotearoa and made an immediate impact in the opening round  with 43,000 fans turning up to watch a 30-20 victory over the Hurricanes, including a well-taken try by Clarke.

Caleb’s unstoppable form in Super Rugby Aotearoa translated quickly onto the international stage. He made his All Blacks debut off the bench in Wellington against the Wallabies, with his starting debut coming the very next week on home turf at Eden Park. Caleb was an immediate sensation, eating metres for fun and firmly establishing himself as a presence on the global stage, stepping out of his father’s shadow and into his own light.

Caleb was the first choice wing during the 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa season, starting every game in the #11 jersey. Clarke had another solid season for both the Blues and All Blacks in 2022, albeit somewhat troubled by injury. He continued to shine in Super Rugby the following year, scoring a blistering end-to-end try in the team’s season opener down in Dunedin against the Highlanders. He capped off the season with selection in the All Blacks’ Rugby World Cup squad for France however his game time was limited, earning just the one start against Namibia in pool play. On his day, Caleb Clarke is one of the most destructive wings in the game and Blues fans can expect to see plenty from him in the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season.