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Caleb Clarke locks in playing future with Blues


Caleb Clarke of the Blues looks on ahead of the round nine Super Rugby Pacific match between Blues and ACT Brumbies at Eden Park, on April 20, 2024, in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
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Powerhouse winger Caleb Clarke has committed his immediate playing future to the Blues, meaning he will remain eligible for the All Blacks.

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The new deal will see Clarke remain with his hometown team until at least 2027, ensuring the 26-year-old stays in contention for a second Rugby World Cup appearance.

Now with 29 games for New Zealand and 74 for the Blues under his belt, Clarke remains a leading contender for the No. 11 jersey when the All Blacks’ season gets underway on July 5, despite a bevy of new talent coming through the ranks.

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“The Blues is home for me. I’ve grown up here, developed here, and achieved some amazing things with this team. I’m proud to represent our region and am excited about what’s ahead,” Clarke said.

“We’ve got an exciting group of guys, awesome fans, and I’m looking forward to continue running out in blue.”

Clarke’s teammate for both club and country, Mark Tele’a, opted for a different route when his latest contract discussions came about. The 2023 World Breakthrough Player of the Year will begin a new chapter in Japan at the end of 2025.

Clarke, on the other hand, is still two years younger than Tele’a, and is now five years removed from his blockbusting international debut.

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Blues GM of Rugby Murray Williams was thrilled to see the fan favourite recommit.

“We’re stoked to have Caleb locked in through 2027. He’s been a big part of our journey over the last few years and continues to develop as a world-class player,” he said.

“His energy is contagious, he’s passionate about the Blues jersey, and he will be a huge part of our success moving forward.”

NZR General Manager Professional Rugby & Performance Chris Lendrum added:

“Coming off the back of a strong 2024 season for both the Blues and All Blacks, we are looking forward to Caleb’s continued growth over the next two years in New Zealand.”

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NoLongerARuck 49 minutes ago
Rugby's Greatest Rivalry deep dive - what has happened to the All Blacks’ scrum?

Alot of people have talked about how the AB's are making progress and getting closer to the Boks. Its also important to ask where the net gain has been. In 4 games under Razor the AB's attack failed dismally and struggled to score tries. The Boks outscored them comprehensively. Even so the All Blacks led for long periods in Joburg and Cape Town in 24. They lost each game by one score. They led all the way in Auckland and led for a quarter of the match in Wellington. Razors team always lost control in the final quarter of matches against the boks where the Boks bench completely overpowered them.

Under Rennie the AB's have scored plenty of tries, more than the Boks, they have rediscovered their attacking threat but they have regressed in other areas. Their scrum has totally capitulated, their lineout has been hammered, they are turning the ball over more at break down and in the tackle. They are making mistakes within their attacking template that has cost them and presented the Boks opportunities and so their defence has suffered with the Boks making hay in the last 3 games outscoring them in terms of tries and pts during that period. They have conceded 2 and 3 score leads in the last 3 matches heading into the final quarter. At Cape Town it was 16 points, Soweto 12 pts and in the US 15 pts. The Boks established control of Rennies team earlier and led for longer with AB's forced to chase games. They won the second half in Ellis Park comprehensively and the final quarters in the next 2 matches matches but little else illustrating the lack of control for the AB's.



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