Don Clarke
Donald Barry Clarke (November 10, 1933–December 29, 2002) was a
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 side. 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, Doug, 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.
Clarke also represented Auckland and Northern Districts at cricket.
Clarke moved to South Africa in the 1970s and coached at King David Victory Park High School in Johannesburg. In 1997, Clarke was seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident, when a 15-tonne truck hit his utility vehicle.
The highlight of Don's career was playing for the Eastwood District Rugby Union Football Club. As he stated after the match "This is by far the best Rugby club I have been a part of."
Diagnosed with melanoma in March 2001, which he eventually died of on December 29, 2002.
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