Born in Nelson, Caleb went to Waimea College—not typically known as a rugby school, he says.
“We had a really good group of players in my year. We’d grown up together, and I think that was why we were actually pretty good.
“In our last year we ended up beating Nelson Boys—and they were the school known as a ‘rugby school’, so it was a big thing for us. That’s still one of my favourite rugby memories.”
He came to Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington in 2018 to pursue his Bachelor of Architectural Studies, something he’d always been interested in pursuing.
“I wanted to study architecture because it’s what I enjoyed in high school—I’ve always been a creative kid, and love drawing.
“I knew Wellington was the best place for Architecture in New Zealand, and it meant I could stay kinda close to Nelson and my family.”
A few weeks into his studies, Caleb was awarded the Victoria University-Old Boys University (OBU) Jack Jeffs Rugby Scholarship, valued at $15,000 per year for three years.
“I heard about the scholarship through a friend,” he says. “It caught my eye and I applied but didn’t think anything of it—so I was absolutely stoked when I found out I’d got it.”
He played for the Old Boys University (OBU) Rugby Football Club (RFC) and was quickly selected for the OBU Rugby Academy—a partnership between the University and the RFC.
“I knew I was pretty good at footy, but I didn’t know if I had what it took to take it to the next level—but when I got to Wellington, I really started playing at my best.”
He says his challenge was balancing life, rugby, and study—as at that point he was still studying full-time.
“It was pretty tough. I had to stick to a strict routine to keep on top of it all.”
Caleb was selected for the Wellington Lions in 2020, and then as a replacement player for the Hurricanes during the 2021 Super Rugby season, before being named in the 2022 squad.
“Being named in the Hurricanes squad was a dream come true—and gave me a bit of security and confidence that this was something worth chasing.
“Quite often I wasn’t able to go to my tutorials because of training, so there were a few tutors I never saw face-to-face, which was tough—sometimes I felt like I didn’t know what was going on.”
Caleb also made his debut for the Māori All Blacks in 2022—a "huge honour".
He says he doesn’t know if he would have got through without the support of his lecturers and Tapu Vea, Pasifika Future Student Adviser in the University's Future Students team.
“She was a huge supporter of mine. When I didn’t know how to approach the situation, she’d talk to my lecturers and tutors and advocate for me.
“Being open and honest meant that everyone was always helpful—all my lecturers and tutors gave me extensions when I needed them.”
He dropped from full-time to part-time study, and this year, the many sacrifices have paid off: he officially graduates in December and is signed with the Hurricanes for another two years.
“I’m proud and glad that I did both. It’ll be great to be able to focus on my rugby for now, but I also have something to fall back on that I really love.
“I don’t know where it’ll all lead or what’s next, but that’s what makes it exciting too.”
His biggest piece of advice to anyone looking to do the same? Find the joy.
“You don’t have to be the best when you leave high school—whether it’s at sport or study—you just gotta keep working at it, and you have to want to keep working at it.
“If you’re not enjoying it, you won’t want to train the most, study the most, and if you’re not willing to do the most, it’s probably not the thing you should be doing. So, find that thing instead.”
Find out more about studying towards a Bachelor of Architectural Studies or playing rugby at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.