Ian James Clarke

Ian James Clarke

Ian James Clarke was born in Kaponga, New Zealand, on 5 March 1931. A fine prop forward who could also play in the back row, he gained 24 caps (in 83 appearances) for New Zealand between 1953 and 1963; he captained the All Blacks against Australia in 1955. He was a farmer and one of five brothers, including the New Zealand full-back, D. B. Clarke. In 1963 Ian Clarke emulated N.M. Shehadie [q.v.] by making a second tour of the British Isles and, like Shehadie in 1958, was invited to play for the Barbarians against his own team in the final game of the 1963/64 tour at Cardiff Arms Park. He repaid the honour by scoring the first points of the match: a 40-yards' drop goal from a mark. He died on 29 June 1997, aged 66.