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The ex-All Blacks Sevens and NZ U20s flyer waiting in the wings for Blues

Caleb Tangitau of New Zealand dives to score his try during the World Rugby U20 Championship 2023, 5th Place semi final match between New Zealand and Australia at Athlone Sports Stadium on July 9, 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

Caleb Tangitau may have only just turned 21 but he’s already lived out some incredible rugby dreams that have come as a welcomed surprise to the young man himself.

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Every rugby player starts out as a kid with a dream. Tangitau’s “big rugby head” father introduced the youngster to the sport at just four years of age and he hasn’t looked back since.

Tangitau has represented New Zealand at senior level on the sevens circuit and with the ‘Baby Blacks’ at the World Rugby U20s Championship, and that’s not even everything.

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This is the story of a young man with a dream and a burning passion to both play and compete with some genuine superstars of the game, including some world-class All Blacks.

“They’re your dreams but you don’t actually think that it’s gonna happen,” Tangitau told RugbyPass earlier this month. “It all just happened so quickly. (I’m) grateful for it.”

After starring in the prestigious Westlake Boys High School First XV on Auckland’s North Shore, the rising star was given the opportunity to don the black jersey on the international stage.

Tangitau hadn’t played much sevens until his final year of high school at Westlake. But after starring with the New Zealand Condor sevens team in 2020, the All Blacks Sevens came knocking.

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The then-teenager was offered the chance to trial with the star-studded New Zealand side and was later given a contract to join the likes of Sam Dickson and Joe Webber in the squad on a full-time deal.

Tangitau was starstruck but confident; excited and hungry. But the young Kiwi with a dream was just hopeful of eventually playing “one tournament” for the All Blacks Sevens.

Tangitau did a bit more than that.

As a Commonwealth Games and Rugby World Cup Sevens medallist, and doing so before his 20th birthday, the former SVNS flyer described the experience as both “pretty crazy” and “unreal.”

“Me and my dad used to watch sevens a lot when I was little so I’d see like Tim Mikkelson and those sort of players were playing,” Tangitau explained.

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“Me and my dad had talks say, ‘Would you do sevens if it came?’ I’d be like, ‘Oh I don’t really know.’ I’d never really played sevens until my last year of high school so we didn’t really think it was on the table for me.

“Luckily played schools sevens for NZ and then the year after, so my first year out of school, they asked me to come in for a couple of weeks just as a trial sort of thing.

“It all sort of happened so fast,” he added. “I was just looking at it like, ‘Hey, if I don’t play the best I’m still young.’ I went in with that mindset… I can keep growing. I don’t really feel too much pressure, luckily.”

Tangitau became a regular with the New Zealanders on the now-called SVNS Series. While the Olympics is an option for rugby players nowadays, the speedster has ventured in another direction.

The New Zealander has gone all-in on the 15-player game.

Selected as part of the New Zealand squad for the World Rugby U20 Championship in South Africa last year, Tangitau was more than impressive in the black jersey.

Playing alongside other promising prospects in Aotearoa, including the likes of Macca Springer and Noah Hotham, the winger scored five tries in four matches.

“That team is full of great players. I just thought we didn’t quite have quite enough time as a group to do well. Definitely think we had the players,” he said.

“The experience was cool as. Just to match up against other players around the world my age just to see where I’m at, am I better than these guys?

“It was a cool experience. I think we were away for seven weeks all up. It was fun though, it was cool. Just an amazing experience.”

It was during last year’s National Provincial Championship season that Tangitau, along with his mum and agent, decided to charge ahead with rugby’s more traditional format.

While the Olympics in Paris were just around the corner, the opportunity to make his mark in a talented squad with the Blues in Super Rugby Pacific proved too good to turn down.

It was a tough decision but one that Tangitau seemed comfortable with.

“It would have been at the end of NPC last year where we had no clue what I was going to do,” the Auckland outside back revealed.

“We just thought it was the best thing for my future to stay with the Blues. It was real tough.”

When Tangitau spoke with RugbyPass one afternoon earlier this month, the speedster had just gotten home from Blues training.

Joining the youngster at those sessions are genuine A-listers in the world of rugby union, including All Blacks Caleb Clarke, Rieko Ioane, Mark Tele’a, Dalton Papali’i and more.

“That’s another crazy thing. I thought I was starstruck going to Tim Mikkelson and stuff and then I came over to the Blues and I’m looking at my inside and it’s Rieko (Ioane) defending with me.

“As a young guy watching that, it’s crazy. But then you see they’re just regular dudes seeing if I need help and all that sort of stuff.

“I’m sort of used to it now.”

The Blues wing has only played one Super Rugby match. Tangitau was named to come off the pine away to the Melbourne Rebels at AAMI Park on April 4 last year.

It’s been a while since, but Tangitau has continued to chip away behind the scenes – working hard for another opportunity.

Tangitau impressed during the Blues’ pre-season trip to Japan, and the former New Zealand U20s representative also crossed for a five-pointer in the 38-24 win over the Chiefs in Takapuna.

But until another opportunity comes, the winger is focused on working away behind the scenes and learning from a fairly handy mentor and friend in All Black Caleb Clarke.

“If I had to choose someone it’d probably be Caleb, Caleb Clarke,” he added when asked if any All Blacks had taken him under their wing.

“I’ve gotten pretty close with him. When we went over to Japan he was my roomie for the two weeks so we’ve always had those little talks, asking if I need help. Also when I made my debut he was my roomie as well.

“We’ve gotten pretty close so I’m lucky to learn from him as an All Black.”

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Comments

13 Comments
J
JS 451 days ago

Irish Rugby CEO be texting Andy Farrell “Andy, i found our next Kiwi Irishman”

B
Bull Shark 451 days ago

NZ B Team

C
CV 451 days ago

Word in France is that he’s on the radar of a few Top14 clubs.

J
JS 451 days ago

Watched some interview last week of someone from NZRFU saying there are 600+ Kiwis playing rugby professionally o’seas at the minute. Mind blowing

Y
YeowNotEven 454 days ago

He’ll have to play exceptionally well to get some game time. Caleb Clarke has certainly stepped up his game this year, and Mark Telea is being Mark Telea.

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Nickers 30 minutes ago
Scott Robertson names his 35-man All Blacks squad for France series

As always with Razor slightly unorthodox with a few surprises. Last year Blackadder was rushed back into the starting 15 after a long injury lay off and no game time, this year on the back of a good body of work in which he was immense in the final he doesn’t even make the squad. But Finau, who possibly wouldn’t have even been starting for the Chiefs if Parker was fit is the only specialist 6 in the squad. Likewise Havili, great season and a great final, much better than last year by all measures but doesn’t make the cut.


6 mid fielders when 4 will do, but only 5 loosies when 7 would be useful -> Maybe Lakai and Parker come in? No 3rd choice at 10 meaning if one of BB or DMac sustain a mid to long term injury there is no one they are specifically trusting to come into the team and be able to close out matches - maybe they think Love is the 3rd best 10 in NZ?


Great to see Tavatavanawai straight in on the back of a huge season - he should 100% be in the 23. There have been players before like Stevenson or Sotutu who had the season of the their lives and didn’t get picked, so this is great and a little surprising to see.


Only 4 locks and no lock cover among the loosies named. This seems like an area we need to be developing more players rather than concentrating the talent pool down further. Maybe when Darry is fit he finds his way back in, but it would be good to see Lord or whoever the 6th best lock is around the squad too.


One thing I continue to find strange about ABs selection going back many years is that they are obsessed with backs being able to cover multiple positions, but they don’t take advantage of this in any way. The fact that we have 3 players who can play 12, and 3 that can play 13, doesn’t stop them from selecting ALB to cover 12 and 13 giving them 4 options at each position - what is the point of this? Likewise Love, I really like him, especially at 10, But they have Jordan, BB, Dmac who all play 15 at test level, as well as JB who is world class at 15 to cover, so why take up another spot in the squad with yet another 15? Why do we need four options for every position in the backs except 10, which is arguably the most important one where we have not been able to develop a new test player for 8 or 9 years.


And unless there is a big change this year they also don’t use all these utility backs to enable a 6-2 bench split, and will instead pick a specialist winger on the bench to come on and play the last 10 minutes.

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