The simple Highlanders offer Caleb Tangitau couldn't refuse

Caleb Tangitau is making quite a name for himself with the Highlanders in 2025. A prized recruit from the Blues ahead of the season, the speedster was lured south by the promise of opportunity.

The Aucklander got his first taste of Super Rugby in Blues camp in 2023, but played just three games for his home club due to their backlog of talent in the outside backs, headlined by All Blacks Caleb Clarke and Mark Tele’a.

Prior to his Super Rugby switch, Tangitau was called into the All Blacks Sevens at the age of just 19, immediately starring for the team and topping the try count in 2022.

Fast forward to 2025, and the 22-year-old is starring in the Highlanders colours, having earned a starting berth on the right wing in his debut season in Dunedin.

Super Rugby Fantasy players will be familiar with the try-scoring phenom’s exploits, as Tangitau currently claims equal top spot with Damian McKenzie for total points on the season.

With a promising career on the SVNS circuit on the table, Tangitau’s shift to the 15-man game has well and truly paid off, and he looks on track to achieve his ultimate goal in the near future.

“My goal was always to be an All Black. You’ve got to be in a Super Rugby environment to achieve those goals,” the speedster told The Hurtlocker podcast.

“I always knew growing up, I always wanted to play for the Blues. So, when the opportunity came, I thought I have to go and try and just be in that environment.”

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Once he arrived in camp, Tangitau was struck by the difficulty of tranitioning back to XV rugby. A talented player who had only started to dedicate his time to rugby in the final year of high school, the Super Rugby rookie had to persevere through a challenging season.

“I was struggling. I forgot how different the games are, sevens and fifteens, especially going into a team like (the Blues). I was honestly struggling for, I would even say the whole year, just trying to get my head around it all. It was pretty tough.”

While still showing plenty of promise with the Blues, as well as receiving mentorship from some of the game’s best, Tnagitau was clear on what he wanted: “Opportunity to play.”

“All I want to do is be on the field, especially at this level. That’s always going to be hard when you’ve got two unreal All Blacks in front of you.

“So, I thought if I want to achieve my goals, then I’ve got to be on the field, and that’s what the Highlanders offered me. That’s how it came about.”