Don Clarke
Encyclopedia
Donald Barry Clarke was a New Zealand rugby union
player who played 89 times (31 of these were test matches) as a New Zealand international from 1956 until 1964. He was best known for his phenomenal goal kicking ability that earned him the nickname "The Boot".
. This helped his cause in being selected to play in the third All Black test match of the Springbok tour. Over his entire All Black career Clarke scored 781 points, a record that stood for 24 years until it was broken by Grant Fox
in 1988.
Clarke had four brothers, Ian
, Douglas, Brian and Graeme all of whom also represented Waikato. Only once did they all appear for Waikato in the same match, at Te Aroha
in 1961.
A highlight of his career was to play for the Eastwood Rugby Club
(Sydney, Australia) in an exhibition match. "One of the best days of my life..." Clarke commented at the after match function.
Clarke moved to South Africa in the 1970s and coached at King David Victory Park High School in Johannesburg.
matches, mostly for Auckland and Northern Districts, taking five or more wickets in an innings on four occasions. His best performance came for Northern Districts against Central Districts in January 1963, when he claimed 8/37 in the second innings.
At the time, this was a record innings return for Northern Districts in first-class cricket, although it was beaten by Gren Alabaster
's 8/30 just two months later.
He was diagnosed with melanoma
in March 2001, from which he died on 29 December 2002.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player who played 89 times (31 of these were test matches) as a New Zealand international from 1956 until 1964. He was best known for his phenomenal goal kicking ability that earned him the nickname "The Boot".
Rugby career
Clarke was first selected to play rugby for the Waikato rugby team at the age of 17 in 1951. In 1956 he helped the Waikato side to a 14–10 victory over the touring South African Springbok side1956 South Africa rugby union tour of Australia and New Zealand
The 1956 South Africa rugby union tour of Australia and New Zealand-Tour itinerary:-Australia First Test:-Australia Second Test:-New Zealand First Test:-New Zealand Second Test:-New Zealand Third Test:-New Zealand Fourth Test:...
. This helped his cause in being selected to play in the third All Black test match of the Springbok tour. Over his entire All Black career Clarke scored 781 points, a record that stood for 24 years until it was broken by Grant Fox
Grant Fox
Grant James Fox is a former rugby union player from New Zealand. He was born in New Plymouth. He attended Auckland Grammar school....
in 1988.
Clarke had four brothers, Ian
Ian Clarke
Ian Clarke is the original designer and lead developer of Freenet. Clarke grew up in Navan, County Meath, Ireland.Clarke was educated at Dundalk Grammar School and while there twice came first in the Senior Chemical, Physical, and Mathematical section of the Young Scientist Exhibition...
, Douglas, Brian and Graeme all of whom also represented Waikato. Only once did they all appear for Waikato in the same match, at Te Aroha
Te Aroha
Te Aroha is a rural town in the Waikato region of New Zealand with a population of 3,768 . It is 53 km northeast of Hamilton and 50 km south of Thames. It sits at the foot of 952-metre Mount Te Aroha, the highest point in the Kaimai Range....
in 1961.
A highlight of his career was to play for the Eastwood Rugby Club
Eastwood Rugby Club
Eastwood Rugby Club is a rugby union club playing in the Sydney grade competition. The club is based at T G Millner Field, named in honour of its benefactor Colonel Tom Millner MC VD, and the club's players and supporters are primarily drawn from the Northern Suburbs and Hills District of Sydney....
(Sydney, Australia) in an exhibition match. "One of the best days of my life..." Clarke commented at the after match function.
Clarke moved to South Africa in the 1970s and coached at King David Victory Park High School in Johannesburg.
Cricket career
Clarke also played 27 first-class cricketFirst-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
matches, mostly for Auckland and Northern Districts, taking five or more wickets in an innings on four occasions. His best performance came for Northern Districts against Central Districts in January 1963, when he claimed 8/37 in the second innings.
At the time, this was a record innings return for Northern Districts in first-class cricket, although it was beaten by Gren Alabaster
Gren Alabaster
Grenville David Alabaster is a former New Zealand first class cricketer for Otago, Canterbury and Northern Districts. A winner of the New Zealand Cricket Almanack Player of the Year Award in 1972, Alabaster was a right-arm off-break bowler. He represented New Zealand on occasions but never in an...
's 8/30 just two months later.
Personal history
In 1997, Clarke was seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident, when a 15-tonne truck hit his utility vehicle.He was diagnosed with melanoma
Melanoma
Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye...
in March 2001, from which he died on 29 December 2002.