All Blacks wing Caleb Clarke re-signs with Blues and New Zealand Rugby

In a major coup for Super Rugby Pacific champions the Blues, All Blacks winger Caleb Clarke has re-signed with the club and New Zealand Rugby through until the end of 2025.

Clarke, 25, was a clear standout at Eden Park last month with the powerful No. 11 scoring a headline-grabbing hat-trick in the emphatic 41-10 win over the Chiefs in the Grand Final.

That masterful performance in the big dance capped off an impressive Super Rugby campaign from the outside back who scored 10 tries and led the competition with 22 linebreaks and 1220 running metres.

Clarke was rewarded shortly after that final by being named in Scott Robertson’s first All Blacks squad. The Aucklander didn’t take the field in the two-match series against England but returned to the Test arena for the win over Fiji in San Diego, USA.

There is genuine depth in New Zealand in their outside backs stocks. Mark Tele’a won World Rugby’s Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2023, Emoni Narawa has been impressive after returning from injury, and Sevu Reece scores tries for fun.

But Clarke is certainly up there in the best in New Zealand after a solid season so far in 2024, and the winger is looking forward to the year ahead after recommitting to the Blues and NZR.

“I love this club, my family have a strong connection to the Blues and I’m proud to continue to add to that legacy,” Clarke said in a statement.

“Being part of a championship winning side was special. It’s something many of us at the Blues have strived for in recent years, so to get over the line and win Super Rugby Pacific was a dream come true.

“The challenge now is to continue improving – teams will come hunting for us in 2025 and we need to be ready to meet that challenge.”

Clarke was a regular starter for the Blues this season. The 25-year-old wore the No. 11 jersey on 14 occasions and came off the pine once in a round 10 win over the Queensland Reds at Suncorp Stadium – an absolute thriller at the Brisbane venue.

The All Black started the season with a try in the opening round win over the Fijian Drua at Eden Park but had to wait until round six to get back on the scoresheet. Clarke ended up scoring two tries in three matches but really came alive during the playoffs.

In the quarter-final win over the Fijian Drua, Clarke crossed for a double. The Kiwi backed that up with one try in the win over the ACT Brumbies in the semi-final and the previously mentioned hat-trick in the historic Grand Final triumph.

“It’s excellent to see Caleb back in blue for another season. We love the energy he brings to our group,” coach Vern Cotter added.

“He’s a powerful ball carrier, has markedly improved his defence and displayed his brilliant aerial skills from restarts and contestable kicks throughout last season.

“What was really impressive with Caleb’s ability to adapt his game to suit our style of play. He was constantly hungry for work and wasn’t afraid to get into the thick of things and mix it with the forwards.”