Ian James Clarke (5 March 1931 – 29 June 1997) was a New Zealand rugby union player, farmer and rugby administrator. Clarke was the eldest of five sons of Alexander James Clarke, a blacksmith, and Annie Marie Taylor. He joined th
Kereone Rugby Club
in 1947, and in 1953 was selected for the All Black team that toured Britain and France. He captained the team in three tests against Australia in 1955. In 1961 all five Clarke brothers played for

Waikato Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsul ...

in a game against

Thames Valley The Thames Valley is an informally-defined sub-region of South East England, centred on the River Thames west of London, with Oxford as a major centre. Its boundaries vary with context. The area is a major tourist destination and economic hub, ...

. On 16 February 1963, Clarke married Jeanette Eleanor Welch, a copywriter; they had no children. He retired as a player in 1964 after completing 252 first-class games, including 24 tests. He then became a dairy farmer and a rugby referee and administrator. He served as vice president of the

New Zealand Rugby New Zealand Rugby (NZR) is the governing body of rugby union in New Zealand. It was founded in 1892 as the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU), 12 years after the first provincial unions in New Zealand. In 1949 it became an affiliate to t ...

Football Union, becoming its president in 1993. On 29 June 1997 he collapsed and died while feeding out stock.

References

1931 births 1997 deaths New Zealand farmers New Zealand rugby union players People from Kaponga People educated at Hawera High School New Zealand international rugby union players Rugby union players from Taranaki {{NewZealand-rugbyunion-bio-1930s-stub