SVNS star embracing new role after Josh Jacomb’s All Blacks call-up

Sam Clarke is among a cohort of All Blacks Sevens players making a big impression in the 2026 NPC.

Brothers Rob and Brady Rush helped Northland win the Ranfurly Shield for the first time since 1979. Sione Molia and Riley Williams traded tries in a recent Counties versus Wellington clash. Kele Lasaqa regularly plays for Bay of Plenty. Scott Gregory and Fletcher Morgan occupy spots in the Southland backline.

Clarke is running Taranaki’s backline at first five eighth. This role was thrust on him unexpectedly when Josh Jacomb was selected for the All Blacks tour of South Africa.

“It’s my first time running a backline in a professional team. It’s been an awesome experience,” Clarke told RugbyPass.

“It’s taken me a few weeks to find my feet, become more familiar with the system, and grow the confidence to back myself.

“Josh and I are similar in that we both like to have a crack. The biggest difference is he is more experienced. He is faster at coming up with the right solution when needed, but I’m figuring that out.

“It’s cool to see many of the Sevens boys doing well in NPC. We have a group chat where we discuss the competition. There is plenty of banter.

“The biggest difference between sevens and fifteens is the length of the game. I haven’t noticed much difference in physicality. In sevens, you train 45 minutes max to prepare for a 14-minute game. In fifteens, you can train more than two hours and cover much more ground.”

In 2018 at St. Patrick’s College, Silverstream, Clarke played ten for a First XV that won the Wellington premiership with 16 wins out of 18 games. All Black Peter Lakai was a teammate. Clarke suggested Lakai would make a decent Sevens player. Could Los Angeles 2028 be a new frontier?

Between suffering two broken ankles, a broken jaw, and numerous hamstring injuries, Clarke played for Manawatu.

In 2023, Clarke won the prestigious Billy Wallace Best & Fairest Award as the best player in Wellington club rugby. He became the first winner from the Paremata-Plimmerton club since the award began in 1966. In 2025, he helped the “Hammerheads” win the National Club Sevens.

His selection for the All Blacks Sevens in December 2025 meant that he was the first rugby player from the Chatham Islands to wear an All Blacks-labelled jersey since midfield back Robert Mathieson contributed to the All Blacks’ victory in four matches during an Australian tour in 1922.

“It was really special to represent New Zealand and finally position myself as an athlete who could train fulltime, really focus on my goals rather than have to work around work,” Clarke says.

“It was a tough season. Fourth in the league is not where we aimed to finish but in every tournament now there are no clear favourites. It is very even. I feel we’re definitely improving. We were second in the Grand Final series and just lost to France in Broudex.

“It’ll be interesting to see what the new coaches Willie Rickards and Scott Curry bring. Curry has been there and done that while Willie might tweak a few things”

With former Taranaki coach Neil Barnes (39 wins in 57 games) promoted to the All Blacks, former first-class players Jarrad Hoeata (All Blacks), Heiden Bedwell-Curtis and Michael “Jimmy” Carr have taken over the reins at Taranaki.

It was a rocky start to the season for the Amber and Blacks, losing three of their first four games, including a 42-0 humiliation against Northland.

With their backs to the wall, things clicked in a 40-26 win against Canterbury. Then Auckland was subdued in New Plymouth with a 28-12 win, marking Taranaki’s 10th win in the last 11 games.

“We lost 12 players for the Waikato and Northland losses, including our captain Kaylum Boshier, All Blacks Josh Jacomb and Bradley Slater, Daniel Rona and Adam Lennox and a few others to illness. You hate to use that as an excuse, but that was pretty rough, Clarke said.

“The Northland loss was so big we couldn’t dwell on it too long. We knew we were better. It’s no fluke Northland is doing so well with their big pack and experienced nine and ten.

“Against Canterbury we put a big focus on winning the collisions. It helped that we had  Kaylum back. He is so good at the breakdowns. Taranaki rugby is about having a crack and with that quick ball we were able to do that.”

Clarke finished a length-of-the-field try and kicked five conversions.

“That was an awesome feeling, Meihana Grindlay, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Kini Naholo. We’ve got some boys who can do some real damage. They’d be good Sevens players too,” Clarke said.