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The simple Highlanders offer Caleb Tangitau couldn't refuse
By Ned Lester
Caleb Tangitau is making quite a name for himself with the Highlanders in 2025. A prized recruit from the Blues ahead of the season, the speedster was lured south by the promise of opportunity.
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The Aucklander got his first taste of Super Rugby in Blues camp in 2023, but played just three games for his home club due to their backlog of talent in the outside backs, headlined by All Blacks Caleb Clarke and Mark Tele’a.
Prior to his Super Rugby switch, Tangitau was called into the All Blacks Sevens at the age of just 19, immediately starring for the team and topping the try count in 2022.
Fast forward to 2025, and the 22-year-old is starring in the Highlanders colours, having earned a starting berth on the right wing in his debut season in Dunedin.
Super Rugby Fantasy players will be familiar with the try-scoring phenom’s exploits, as Tangitau currently claims equal top spot with Damian McKenzie for total points on the season.
With a promising career on the SVNS circuit on the table, Tangitau’s shift to the 15-man game has well and truly paid off, and he looks on track to achieve his ultimate goal in the near future.
“My goal was always to be an All Black. You’ve got to be in a Super Rugby environment to achieve those goals,” the speedster told The Hurtlocker podcast.
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“I always knew growing up, I always wanted to play for the Blues. So, when the opportunity came, I thought I have to go and try and just be in that environment.”
Once he arrived in camp, Tangitau was struck by the difficulty of tranitioning back to XV rugby. A talented player who had only started to dedicate his time to rugby in the final year of high school, the Super Rugby rookie had to persevere through a challenging season.
“I was struggling. I forgot how different the games are, sevens and fifteens, especially going into a team like (the Blues). I was honestly struggling for, I would even say the whole year, just trying to get my head around it all. It was pretty tough.”
While still showing plenty of promise with the Blues, as well as receiving mentorship from some of the game’s best, Tnagitau was clear on what he wanted: “Opportunity to play.”
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“All I want to do is be on the field, especially at this level. That’s always going to be hard when you’ve got two unreal All Blacks in front of you.
“So, I thought if I want to achieve my goals, then I’ve got to be on the field, and that’s what the Highlanders offered me. That’s how it came about.”
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That’s really enlightening as when I played for the U20s at the world cup I could see, yeah, the guy has ability, but he really wasn’t doing anything right. The running lines, chases, using width, and so I’ve been really surprised by his range of skills hes showing this year. Like boom, from a guy who looks like he doesn’t know what a game of rugby is to an instant hit. He says he’s needed to get on the field, but it can’t just be a few games and months of preseason that’s made the difference, surely?
So now that you’ve shown you have the goods it’s back to eden park? Of all teams it’s the Blues that have out and out wingers. Most teams have players that can play anywhere at the back or midfield, but I don’t think you’re moving the Blues wingers. As AJ Lam and Heem, EVans, Sullivan have found out.
Interesting that it says he only really got into rugby in his final year of high school- this may have made an impact on what you’re saying re his earlier rugby smarts?