Ardie Savea decides Super Rugby future while Hurricanes snap up six-time champion
All Blacks captain Ardie Savea and an inset of Bryn Hall.
Ardie Savea’s new Super Rugby Pacific club will be confirmed on Friday, according to reports.
Savea was set to return to Moana following his latest stint in Japan, where he helped the Kobe Steelers clinch the Japan Rugby League One title under now All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie.
However, he has been left without a club ahead of the 2027 season after Moana Pasifika collapsed earlier this year. While any of the four New Zealand clubs would have revelled in snapping up the experienced back-rower, he was only ever going to sign for one club, according to a report.
Where to next for Ardie Savea
According to a report by the New Zealand Herald, Savea has signed a one-year deal with the Blues, who will unveil the All Blacks captain as their latest signing on Friday.
While the loose forward started his career with the Hurricanes in Wellington, it is understood that Savea and his family were eager to remain in Auckland following Moana Pasifika’s demise.
The report states that the Blues have been negotiating with the 32-year-old since early July with the New Zealand Rugby component of his Super deal, and the timing of the announcement delaying confirmation.
Savea’s signing is a major coup for the Aucklanders who will have a new head coach next season in Jason Holland, who replaces Vern Cotter, who will fill Les Kiss’ void at the Queensland Reds.
His arrival will also offset the departure of fellow All Black Dalton Papali’i who left the Blues to sign for French club Castres with Hoskins Sotutu also leaving the side to join English side the Newcastle Red Bulls.
Savea is set to help mentor the young loose forwards at the Auckland club which includes Anton Segner, Malachi Wrampling, Torian Barnes and Che Clark.
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Further movements
The Herald also reports that Semisi Ta’eiloa, who featured in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour matches against the Lions and Sharks, will not join Savea at the Blues next season. Like the All Blacks captain, the loose forward was left without a club following the demise of Moana and could sign for either the Hurricanes or Crusaders ahead of next season.
The report states that the Wellington and Christchurch-based sides are leading the race for his signature with the latter initially offering a wider training group contract, with the promise of graduating to their main squad in 2028.
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Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have signed a new scrum-half ahead of the 2027 campaign with former Blues and Crusaders nine Bryn Hall securing a return to New Zealand.
A six-time Super Rugby winner with the Crusaders between 2017 and 2022, Hall returns to Aotearoa following a four-year spell in Japan, where he played for the Shizuoka Blue Revs and Kubota Spears.
“I’m really excited to get down to Wellington to join the Hurricanes next season,” Hall said.
“I loved the way the club played this year with their attacking brand of footy. I can’t wait to be part of that and look forward to contributing in whatever way I can.”
