All Blacks winger Caleb Clarke says he "just lost it" after realising his father, former test star Eroni Clarke, was the surprise voice behind the national anthem at Eden Park on Saturday night.
Caleb, playing in his first test match of 2025, was moved to tears as his father delivered a surprise performance of the national anthem before the game.
The 25-year-old winger had no idea his dad was set to sing the anthem, and neither did the rest of the Clarke family who were at the game.
Watch Eroni and Caleb Clarke's extended interviews on TVNZ+
Eroni, a former All Black himself, said he kept it a secret to avoid distracting Caleb from the week's pre-match preparations.
"I didn't want it to be on his mind … as a father and as a former player you've gotta be focussing," he told 1News.
Eroni was initially reluctant when asked if he wanted to perform the anthem by NZ Rugby's events team who brought it up after they saw him on an episode of The Masked Singer NZ.
But a little voice in the back of his mind eventually made him say yes, he said.
Eden Park was a special place for the Clarke family, with three generations playing there over 50 years.
Eroni said it was a whirlwind of emotion as he waited to walk out but it all disappeared when he stepped foot on the turf.
"I was in the middle of the field, where I was at my calmest when I was playing. It was in that moment when I started singing, I felt the same way: at peace."
After the anthem was over, the father-son duo hugged it out.
"I knew that he was very emotional because it was his first game back in a while. I wanted to make sure he was OK," Eroni said.
During the embrace, Eroni told Caleb, "OK, it's your turn, go out there and play."
"Do your best, son."
Caleb went on to score in just the fourth minute of the match.
He said it was only halfway through the English part of the anthem that he realised it was his dad singing.
"It was funny because [Wallace Sititi and Tamaiti Williams] were both next to me, rubbing my shoulders and holding me up a bit more, and I was thinking 'what's going on?'" he told reporters at Auckland Airport on Sunday.
"Halfway through the English part of the anthem I'm just like 'man I know this voice, it sounds so familiar', so I opened my eyes, saw Dad on the screen and I just lost it from there."
Caleb said his father took karaoke seriously and was part of an acapella group called Soul Five.
"It's himself and his best mates and my uncles, so he's always been a singer," he laughed.
The All Blacks beat the Wallabies 33-24 to retain the Bledisloe Cup. The two sides will face each other again in Perth on Saturday.
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