Caleb Clarke has extended his contract with New Zealand Rugby and the Blues, signing a new deal through to the end of the 2027 season.
This means that the 26-year-old will remain available to the All Blacks through to the next Rugby World Cup.
Meanwhile, Western Force are reportedly making a move for a former All Blacks winger and Wallabies star Taniela Tupou.
Clarke re-signs
“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 in a statement confirming his re-signing.
“We’ve got an exciting group of guys, awesome fans, and I’m looking forward to continue running out in blue.”
Clarke is the son of All Blacks and Blues great Eroni, who played 24 times for New Zealand and over 100 matches for Auckland and the Blues.
Caleb has played 29 times for his country since debuting back in 2020, scoring 13 times, while also helping the Blues win the Super Rugby Pacific title in 2024.
“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,” Blues GM of Rugby Murray Williams said.
“His energy is contagious, he’s passionate about the Blues jersey, and he will be a huge part of our success moving forward.”
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Western Force chase high-profile duo
Across the Tasman, the Force are reportedly making big moves in the player market as they bid to sign former All Blacks and Crusaders winger George Bridge and Wallaby prop Tupou.
The 19-Test cap winger left New Zealand at the end of the 2022 Super Rugby season to join French club Montpellier after winning four fully fledged tournaments with the Crusaders.
Bridge and Montpellier will part ways at the end of the season and according to a report by ROAR Sports, the Force are in the running for his services.
It is reported that Leon MacDonald, who consulted with the Force, has encouraged the Australian Super Rugby team to look into the former All Blacks winger.
Additionally, Western Force are eager to shore up their tighthead depth ahead of next season and have turned their attentions to Wallabies star Tupou.
The front-rower has endured an underwhelming season at the Waratahs following the collapse of the Melbourne Rebels, but that has not put off coach Simon Cron.
The report states that the Force coaching team thinks they can get the best out of the prop, but the club would need Rugby Australia to sweeten the deal with Tupou regularly attracting interest from abroad.
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