Blues winger Caleb Clarke sets record straight on Super Rugby Fantasy absence

Caleb Clarke withdrew from Super Rugby's fantasy game for personal reasons. Photo / Photosport

A step back from fantasy is the new reality for Blues winger Caleb Clarke.

The All Black is one of four players, alongside Highlanders prop Sefo Kautai, and Moana Pasifika pair Tuna Tuitama and Jonathan Taumateine, to withdraw their name from Super Rugby Pacific’s new fantasy competition due to personal reasons.

The game allows fans to build a team of 15 players who score fantasy points based on their on-field performances each week.

Clarke decided Super Rugby’s new venture wasn’t a priority for him in 2025.

“It was just going back to those core values and what I wanted to see in the year,” Clarke told Newstalk ZB.

“There was a lot of thinking behind it because there were pros and cons to both sides of joining or not joining. I looked back at what I wanted to do in the season, and it just didn’t fit in.”

The 25-year-old barnstorming winger is coming off his best professional season to date, entering 2025 with a trimmed frame and going on to lead the Super Rugby competition in line breaks and metres gained. He also finished in the top three in tries scored, top five in carries and sixth in defenders beaten.

Clarke helped steer the Blues to their first Super Rugby crown in 21 years and earned his place in the All Blacks’ coveted number 11 jersey, which saw him start in nine tests last year.

The stat rankings and form would’ve seen Clarke as a top choice in the outside back spot for many fantasy teams.

Clarke is clear to rule out one reason that he’s noticed over his absence from the game.

“Some people think that it’s a religious or a faith thing. I’m just going to say no it’s not, just setting the record straight because I don’t want people to start getting the wrong idea.

“It’s just a personal preference and how I wanted to do it, and fantasy wasn’t a part of it.”

Coming off his standout campaign, the last thing Clarke would want is to find himself under scrutiny to perform on a weekly basis – which can be a downside to the fantasy game for the players.

But the Blues wing doesn’t want to deter fans from getting involved in the game if that’s their preferred avenue of engaging with the sport.

“I think it’s just the way people watch. The boys talk about NRL or NFL Fantasy – I’ve never known what it’s about, but just hearing them talk about it, it’s cool and I hope it brings more people into it.”

As Clarke removes himself from rugby’s fantasy aspect, he offers a dose of reality on how he wants to impact the game, focusing on his work across community and global initiatives such as World Vision.

“I’ll try to build the game in my own way and get out in the community as much as I can.

“I know [fantasy] is a great way to build. It wasn’t where I wanted to be, but I’ll be somewhere else, helping build.”