The rise and rise of Ardie Savea

From New Zealand Secondary Schools captain 18 months ago to Hurricanes hotshot on the cusp of making his Super Rugby debut, Ardie Savea has the rugby world at his feet. Sky Sport Rugby Channel Online Editor Adam Julian tracks his meteoric rise from schoolboy and club star to one of the hottest young tickets in this year’s Super Rugby competition. ?

Nationwide telecasts of First XV rugby have seen a plethora of young talent burst on to the national spotlight. Names like Konard Hurrell, Michael Collins, Jason Emery (now with the Highlanders), Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Michael Fatalofa have all appeared on First XV rugby television in the last three years,soaring to heights few attain while still fitting their school uniforms.

Of all the talent to have appeared on the series though, it’s doubtful that any player has enjoyed the immediate impact of Ardie Savea.

Already the 2011 Rongotai College Head Boy and First XV captain can include the following accolades on his CV: New Zealand Schools Captain and winner of the Golden Boot Award for Best Player in the Test match versus Australia. Wellington Sevens representative, New Zealand Sevens representative, Winner of the Billy Wallace Award for Best Senior Club player in Wellington (playing only half a season), Wellington Lions representative, and Hurricanes contracted player.

Savea says of his meteoric rise “It’s been quite surreal really; I didn’t expect things to happen so quickly. But it’s a privilege to be involved with some of the greats I watched on the TV growing up.”

Things have happened so swiftly for Savea he concedes he “can’t remember” the precise details of the day he was offered a Hurricanes contract. Savea laughs “my memory is quite bad."

There is little wrong with Savea’s rugby however. He spent four years in the First XV at Rongotai College. A natural openside flanker, Savea spent most of his last season at centre where he was easily the best player in the Wellington competition. Is centre a future position in the professional game?

“I like running with the ball, that’s my favourite part of the game.” Savea is doubtful however that he has future prospects in the midfield. His efforts at 13 for Rongotai were mere contingency. “We had limited backs and good loose forwards that year so the coach asked me to play out in the backs and I quite enjoyed it.”

Savea also enjoyed traditional schoolboy rivalry. He says his favourite game at Rongotai was a 28-14 win in a traditional fixture against St Pats Town in 2011. The win for Rongotai was their first in that game since 2008 and their biggest since 2005. Savea recalls,“We used to struggle to beat the bigger schools, but that day we all clicked and achieved a big victory.

”Savea revelled in schoolboy tussles with fellow Wellington representatives Jeff Toomaga- Allen, Ope Peleseuma,Reg Goodes, and Lima Sopoaga,but he says the biggest lesson he learned at college was about teamwork. “It’s important involve the team, you can’t do everything by yourself, you need the whole 22 to succeed.”

Team work is an ethic prevalent in the Savea family and is symbolised by a distinctive tattoo on the right side of Ardie’s neck. “I got the tattoo in 2010 which has my surname, surrounded by six stars. Those six stars represent the members of my family.”

Did the tattoo in such a visible place cause a commotion at a strict boys school like Rongotai? “Not really, the principal Kevin Carter is an awesome fellow and he appreciated the reasons behind it.”

Savea attributes his natural talent to his family. Dad Masina was a punishing second five-eighth for the Oriental Rongotai premiers in the nineties, while Mum Lina was a premier netballer in Wellington and also played rugby at seven. Then of course there is older brother Julian.

What is the relationship like with the All Black winger who has scored 12 tries in nine tests?

“We are tight now but growing up we were pretty competitive. He told me I was annoying when I used to follow him around all the time. When we weren’t playing rugby outside, we played inside on our knees. Those games usually ended in tears.

”The tight-knit nature of Ardie’s family made his choice to join the Oriental Rongotai club a simple one. “My family has always been associated with Ories”, Savea says,“It’s a family oriented club, really multicultural and is run by successful people. It was an obvious choice to go there.”

The expansive style of rugby Ories plays immediately suited Savea. In their last 40 games Ories have won 30 times, scoring an average of 27 points a game. Ories won the Jubilee Cup in 2011 and surged back into the final in 2012 with Savea scoring seven tries in ten games as a dynamic flanker and wing.

Savea impressed so much that he shared the Billy Wallace award as MVP of the competition with Shahn Eru despite playing seven fewer games than the Wainuiomata lock.

The merit of the Billy Wallace award, voted on a points basis by newspaper journalists, should not be underestimated. Apart from the award bearing the name of the great All Black, the Wellington competition is one of the toughest in the country. The 2012 Jubilee Cup final, broadcast nationally, featured no fewer than five internationals and in the last 194 club matches 80, or just over 40 percent, have been decided by seven points or fewer!

Even more impressive was Savea’s imposing form for Wellington in the ITM Cup. He scored seven tries which was the most by any forward and second overall in the competition. His extravagant over the head dummy to fool Southland and epic sixty metre surge to supress an unusually defiant North Harbour were two of the competition’s genuinely memorable moments. Additionally Savea finished in the top 25 for tackles made, runs made, and metres gained with ball in hand.

There was one concern however and that was his playing weight. At 97kg Savea is a lightweight for a Super Rugby forward, Savea was told to bulk up. Ahead of the start of the Super Rugby season he says: “I have put on a fewkilos. I felt a bit heavy at first, but now I feel pretty good."

Savea, who has already scored two tries in Hurricanes trial matches, is dangerous when he feels “pretty good.”