All Blacks skipper Ardie Savea’s long-awaited move to the Blues confirmed
All Blacks skipper Ardie Savea's move to the Blues has been confirmed.
The Blues have bolstered their back-row stocks after it was confirmed on Friday that All Blacks skipper Ardie Savea has signed with them for the 2027 Super Rugby Pacific season.
The 32-year-old will make his return to New Zealand rugby after his latest sabbatical with the Kobe Steelers, who he helped to be crowned Japan Rugby League One champions under the guidance of current All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie earlier this year.
Savea previously represented the now-defunct Moana Pasifika at Super Rugby Pacific level in 2025 and for him his move to the Blues is about more than rugby as he comes in with a clear sense of what he wants to achieve both on and off the field.
‘The Blues have always been on my heart’
“First and foremost, I honour Moana and their team no longer being in the competition, but the Blues have always been on my heart. I’ve always thought how awesome it would be to play there, and I’ve been really blessed with this opportunity,” he said.
Savea is returning to Auckland, a city that he has lived in before, and he sees the chance to bring the region together as a big part of the opportunity.
“I always think of purpose over circumstance. To go into the 09, a city where I’ve lived before, and have the chance to bring people together with this team is pretty exciting,” he explained.
“In Auckland we represent so many ethnicities and cultures, so what a great chance to use rugby as a vehicle through how we act and make people feel.”
Savea’s vision sits right alongside the Blues’ own ambitions.
Blues chief executive Karl Budge feels Savea’s arrival will strengthen the club both on the field and in its drive to reconnect with the city.
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“We’re incredibly happy to have someone not only of his playing and leadership capability, but also, we’re pretty obsessed about how we win back the city, and he’s going to make a huge contribution on and off the field,” he said.
“He’s one of the most entertaining people I’ve ever met.
‘It adds to a new chapter for the club and this region’
“Rugby needs personalities, so to have that in a place where Ardie and the rest of our squad can be authentically themselves is really exciting. We will be having plenty of fun together, and it adds to a new chapter for the club and this region.”
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For Savea, success with the men from Auckland will be measured by more than results.
“How I see the Blues is a team that wins on the field, but also wins off it,” he said.
“That’s by uniting our city through how we play, how we do things, and bringing laughter, joy and excitement.”
Savea will link up with the Blues squad later this year ahead of the 2027 Super Rugby Pacific campaign.
