September 29, 2025 • 7 mins
All Blacks wing Caleb Clarke was overcome with emotion after his father Eroni delivered a surprise performance of the national anthem ahead of the Bledisloe Cup test against Australia.
The All Blacks went onto win the match 33-24, and Clarke said he had no clue his dad was set to sing.
Eroni Clarke himself joined Piney to open up about the surprise performance.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
One of the undoubted highlights of Saturday nights let usload
Cup test that Eden Park happened before the game had
even kicked off. The New Zealand national anthem sung utterly
(00:38):
magnificently by former All Black Roney Clark, who's the dad,
of course, also of current All Black swinger Caleb Clark.
Ironi Clark is with us now, congratulations are only on
a spine tingling rendition of our national anthem? When were
you approached initially to perform this very special role?
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Oh? Thanks, Jack Well, I got to tell you that
it was from the Magic Monster that I was there
on the show, the mass singer, and of course some
of the team at the in the office here obviously
knew that, and they approached me. I met new zi
than might be, and so they asked me. The events
team said, Ronnie, would you consider doing a national anthem
(01:17):
one day? I looked at them and said, are you kidding?
No way, at least with a mask singer. You're pre
recording and youve got the obviously you're underneath this mask.
And now took some other things, and they asked and asked.
So finally, just before the South Africa Test at Eden Park,
I went along to the sound check. I did it.
I thought I felt comfortable after a few times, and
(01:38):
I thought, okay, yeah, look, I'll do it in twenty
twenty six or twenty twenty seven. Said no, in two
weeks against Australia. Oh, now I just got fell over.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Now, Caleb didn't know you were doing this. Was it
something that you deliberately kept to as as few people
as possible?
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Yeah? Well, I mean from I wanted to surprise my
wife and the kids, or well and my wider family,
but from a from having a player perspective of, you know,
having had that experience, I just wanted Taylor to just
focus on the game. I didn't want to have him
hanging over him. That is always Dad's going to be
singing the anthem, and I didn't want him to do
thinking about through the week and also thinking about that
(02:19):
while he's warming up. So I thought, I'll just have
to surprise him and then he's just going to have
to really keep that focus.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
So were you also able to keep it from your
your wife and your family as.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Well and just about everyone outside the eventsity in the office.
So yes, that was and that was quite a challenge
as well. I'm trying to practice with the national anthem
at home and I'm having to hum little bits of
pieces of it and I just about blew my cover
a couple of times.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
And so on the night.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Then did you just sort of slip away and say, look,
I'm just going to go to the bathroom or I'm
just going to go and get you get a snack.
I'll be back soon, and then all of a sudden
you're down on the field.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
That's right. Well the challenge also too because because I
working with you in Raby, I was also hosting some
of our specific partners in the lounge and other things.
So challenge. And then so we're we're on our way
to the to the game and we're held up there
with the traffic at the Minion Road and the events
tiam're trying to find me my calls. I finally got there,
they zipped me straight down and I had to leave
(03:20):
my family. The Vinski came out and said it to
me in front of him. Oh, Ronnie, we've got the
MC connect Live connect for you to do. Can you
come with us straight away, oh.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Cover, nearly blowing, incredible. You looked so relaxed. Were you nervous?
Speaker 3 (03:38):
You know? I look back to my playing days, I'm
a wreck off the field. But when I'm on the
field and it's kick off and we're playing, I'm at
my calmes. So I'm standing there on the sideline together
with Sophie who was singing the Australian national anthem, and
the teams run past me and I'm thinking, don't look,
don't look. Make sure he's not turned around and looking
(04:00):
at you. I had a quick look anyway, he didn't
see me. So I'm standing there and fighting with my
mind with all that and trying to trying to engage
all those high performance things. Breeze, slow down, and all
I could think fighting was remember the words, remember the words,
and the other thought what am I doing here?
Speaker 2 (04:20):
And once you got onto it was but like a
game of rugby, once the whistle goes and you're away
that you're fine. Once you got the first couple of
words out, you were away.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Absolutely as soon as the first I heard the introduction
and I started. Then I fell exactly like that, And
when the when the whistle blows for kickoff, I was
at my calms and same as soon as I started singing,
and then from there it was just hearing our hearing
the crowd singing. It was incredible. And then and as
(04:50):
we got through the song, I wasn't even I didn't
know how Caleb was, but I really loved the crowd
in Eden Park singing together beautifully our national answer.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
And then you shared a special moment with Caleb after
the anthem and just before the hawker were you would
have exchange a few words at that.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Point, absolutely what was wonderful. I went to walk off,
but I just thought to turn to my right, and
as I turned my way, there he was walking towards me,
tears in his eyes and he goes, you didn't tell me, Dad,
And I turned someone. Oh that's right, son, that's right now.
It's your turn, your turn. Now, go go and play,
(05:29):
give it your best, go, welcome back, go now and
playing so yeah, a heart because I mean it certainly
as a father, that's what really came to me. Just
as a father, I got to get that hug in
there and let him go before they kick off.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
And had you got back to your viewing position by
the time he scored his try because it was only
three or four minutes ten.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
I didn't realize I was making my way up to
my seat, and then got up there. I went, oh, great,
we're in the lead. That's brilliant. And my wife turns
me as and she says to me, it was your
son that's called the try, And I just thought, wow,
that could not have been scripted so well.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Yeah, and the performer says, I'm sure you know, Ronnie
has gone absolutely viral. How many people have sort of
been in touch to pass on their best wishes and
their congratulations to you.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
I've got to tell you this. My text messages have
been over one hundred. The message, then the messengers, then
you've got the WhatsApps. And even in fact, while I
was singing, I could feel in my pocket my phone
buzzing and buzzing and buzzing and absolutely wonderful.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Ronnie. It was a special moment for all of us,
no doubt, a very special moment for you and your family.
Thank you for joining us to tell us about the experience.
And may there be many more, many more occasions on
which you sing the national anthem for us before in
all black test.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
No, thanks, Jase, thanks just for having me on I
did no whisper quietly to our events in this morning.
Don't use me for a little while, please, so thank
you very much.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
I love it great to chat to you, Ronie. Thanks indeed,
Ronie Clark their dad of Caleb, proud dad of Caleb.
But man, what performance the New Zealand national anthem sung
by a former player. That's a first, isn't it. I
don't think that's happened before. Surely it's not the last
time we hear Aronie Clark belt out our national song
(07:20):
before an All Blacks test.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to news Talks
That'd b from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
One of the undoubted highlights of Saturday nights let usload
Cup test that Eden Park happened before the game had
even kicked off. The New Zealand national anthem sung utterly
(00:38):
magnificently by former All Black Roney Clark, who's the dad,
of course, also of current All Black swinger Caleb Clark.
Ironi Clark is with us now, congratulations are only on
a spine tingling rendition of our national anthem? When were
you approached initially to perform this very special role?
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Oh? Thanks, Jack Well, I got to tell you that
it was from the Magic Monster that I was there
on the show, the mass singer, and of course some
of the team at the in the office here obviously
knew that, and they approached me. I met new zi
than might be, and so they asked me. The events
team said, Ronnie, would you consider doing a national anthem
(01:17):
one day? I looked at them and said, are you kidding?
No way, at least with a mask singer. You're pre
recording and youve got the obviously you're underneath this mask.
And now took some other things, and they asked and asked.
So finally, just before the South Africa Test at Eden Park,
I went along to the sound check. I did it.
I thought I felt comfortable after a few times, and
(01:38):
I thought, okay, yeah, look, I'll do it in twenty
twenty six or twenty twenty seven. Said no, in two
weeks against Australia. Oh, now I just got fell over.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Now, Caleb didn't know you were doing this. Was it
something that you deliberately kept to as as few people
as possible?
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Yeah? Well, I mean from I wanted to surprise my
wife and the kids, or well and my wider family,
but from a from having a player perspective of, you know,
having had that experience, I just wanted Taylor to just
focus on the game. I didn't want to have him
hanging over him. That is always Dad's going to be
singing the anthem, and I didn't want him to do
thinking about through the week and also thinking about that
(02:19):
while he's warming up. So I thought, I'll just have
to surprise him and then he's just going to have
to really keep that focus.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
So were you also able to keep it from your
your wife and your family as.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Well and just about everyone outside the eventsity in the office.
So yes, that was and that was quite a challenge
as well. I'm trying to practice with the national anthem
at home and I'm having to hum little bits of
pieces of it and I just about blew my cover
a couple of times.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
And so on the night.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Then did you just sort of slip away and say, look,
I'm just going to go to the bathroom or I'm
just going to go and get you get a snack.
I'll be back soon, and then all of a sudden
you're down on the field.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
That's right. Well the challenge also too because because I
working with you in Raby, I was also hosting some
of our specific partners in the lounge and other things.
So challenge. And then so we're we're on our way
to the to the game and we're held up there
with the traffic at the Minion Road and the events
tiam're trying to find me my calls. I finally got there,
they zipped me straight down and I had to leave
(03:20):
my family. The Vinski came out and said it to
me in front of him. Oh, Ronnie, we've got the
MC connect Live connect for you to do. Can you
come with us straight away, oh.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Cover, nearly blowing, incredible. You looked so relaxed. Were you nervous?
Speaker 3 (03:38):
You know? I look back to my playing days, I'm
a wreck off the field. But when I'm on the
field and it's kick off and we're playing, I'm at
my calmes. So I'm standing there on the sideline together
with Sophie who was singing the Australian national anthem, and
the teams run past me and I'm thinking, don't look,
don't look. Make sure he's not turned around and looking
(04:00):
at you. I had a quick look anyway, he didn't
see me. So I'm standing there and fighting with my
mind with all that and trying to trying to engage
all those high performance things. Breeze, slow down, and all
I could think fighting was remember the words, remember the words,
and the other thought what am I doing here?
Speaker 2 (04:20):
And once you got onto it was but like a
game of rugby, once the whistle goes and you're away
that you're fine. Once you got the first couple of
words out, you were away.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Absolutely as soon as the first I heard the introduction
and I started. Then I fell exactly like that, And
when the when the whistle blows for kickoff, I was
at my calms and same as soon as I started singing,
and then from there it was just hearing our hearing
the crowd singing. It was incredible. And then and as
(04:50):
we got through the song, I wasn't even I didn't
know how Caleb was, but I really loved the crowd
in Eden Park singing together beautifully our national answer.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
And then you shared a special moment with Caleb after
the anthem and just before the hawker were you would
have exchange a few words at that.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Point, absolutely what was wonderful. I went to walk off,
but I just thought to turn to my right, and
as I turned my way, there he was walking towards me,
tears in his eyes and he goes, you didn't tell me, Dad,
And I turned someone. Oh that's right, son, that's right now.
It's your turn, your turn. Now, go go and play,
(05:29):
give it your best, go, welcome back, go now and
playing so yeah, a heart because I mean it certainly
as a father, that's what really came to me. Just
as a father, I got to get that hug in
there and let him go before they kick off.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
And had you got back to your viewing position by
the time he scored his try because it was only
three or four minutes ten.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
I didn't realize I was making my way up to
my seat, and then got up there. I went, oh, great,
we're in the lead. That's brilliant. And my wife turns
me as and she says to me, it was your
son that's called the try, And I just thought, wow,
that could not have been scripted so well.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Yeah, and the performer says, I'm sure you know, Ronnie
has gone absolutely viral. How many people have sort of
been in touch to pass on their best wishes and
their congratulations to you.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
I've got to tell you this. My text messages have
been over one hundred. The message, then the messengers, then
you've got the WhatsApps. And even in fact, while I
was singing, I could feel in my pocket my phone
buzzing and buzzing and buzzing and absolutely wonderful.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Ronnie. It was a special moment for all of us,
no doubt, a very special moment for you and your family.
Thank you for joining us to tell us about the experience.
And may there be many more, many more occasions on
which you sing the national anthem for us before in
all black test.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
No, thanks, Jase, thanks just for having me on I
did no whisper quietly to our events in this morning.
Don't use me for a little while, please, so thank
you very much.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
I love it great to chat to you, Ronie. Thanks indeed,
Ronie Clark their dad of Caleb, proud dad of Caleb.
But man, what performance the New Zealand national anthem sung
by a former player. That's a first, isn't it. I
don't think that's happened before. Surely it's not the last
time we hear Aronie Clark belt out our national song
(07:20):
before an All Blacks test.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to news Talks
That'd b from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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