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All Black Ardie Savea crowned World Rugby player of the year
By Josh Raisey
Ardie Savea has been crowned the World Rugby men’s player of year for the first time.
The No8 was immense for the All Blacks in their World Cup campaign, and shone in the final despite narrowly losing to South Africa 12-11.
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The 30-year-old beat World Cup winner Eben Etzebeth, 2021 winner Antoine Dupont and Ireland’s Bundee Aki to the award.
Savea was also included in the dream team, while his teammate Mark Telea was named the breakthrough player of the year.
Outstanding.
Ardie is a great player and congratulations to him. In a best team selection from the All Blacks and the Boks, he’d be in my team. However, Etzebeth would likely be the first name on my team sheet, this year and last year and maybe even 4 years ago.
It’s about time the players are asked to vote. Looking back in time, some of the best players in the world have been overlooked for the recognition. As a Bok fan, two worthy winners would have been Fourie du Preez and Eben Etzebeth. Yet for some reason, they never made it ….
Let the players voices be heard.
How does a player from a team lucky to be in the top 5 win player of the year. New Zealand suffered plenty defeats against way better sides who had much better player’s than the New Zealand number 8
Well done, Ardie! Well deserved. You played your heart out in all your matches.
From a Boks supporter.
Farcical decision. If it’s based on the WC then why no SA player? If it’s based on the last year, NZ have been poor (by their standards). Sam Cane’s performance against Ireland, Steph Du Toit in the final.
Clearly, he’s a world-class player, but what’s the issue with Dupont? Is it because he’s French? If it’s a year-long form, Bundi Aki. He also has a fine World Cup.
Absolute joke, as usual. That’s no disrespect to the player, he’s been excellent during the WC but so have other players. If you are the captain of a team, and they struggled for a year, then surely taht rules you out?
Vote is never fair —No 8 is a playmaking superstar position and Dupont is part-metal now so disqualified
Well deserved.
I have been critical of the blacks discipline and continued rule breaking in this World Cup but I take my hat of to their coaches for nearly winning a RWC with an average blacks team. They need to look deeper now it’s over. So congrats to coaches for making this cup a classic and just to throw debate forward rugby union needs to find better referees 4 sure
No need for an AB rebuild - time for new blood - keen on FRA vs IRL for 2027
Well deserved award for an man of immense stature in rugby.
Here is a dumb idea. The players/ participants themselves have their own vote on a ‘Players POTY’. That way, the voting doesn’t remain a politburo exclusive.
This is fair - there is quite a bit of camarederie amongst the players and ‘game recognise game’
Well-earned, he played massive in the final - a bit light for a 8-man but all credit
As a springbok supporter, I could not agree more. Ardie is champion player what a player. Congratulations!
Consolation participation prize.
Oh well. SA will just need to live with the consolation prize. World Cup Champs. And no. 1 team in the world. They’ll pick themselves up from this I’m sure.
😡
Oh yes, revenge will be that sandwich victory in 2027.
This was the first time that a player of the year was not selected from the incoming world champions.
Snubbing the Springboks will only make them stronger and result in a sandwich victory come 2027.
The heart of the All Black team. If I was Kiwi I would want him to captain.
No body beats Ardie for effort - he gives it everything every time he plays. Nice recognition after a tough weekend. Big congrats to him and his family 👍
About time Ardie got recognized ❤️
I love ardie but it should have been a springbok because they won the world cup(pollard,psdt,etezbeth etc) .Reminds me of when they gave dusautoir award when ABS won 2011 .Makes no sense when winning team does not win majority of awards ,places in tournament team etc
Top player, top man, a credit to his team & family,
however I’ve lost all respect for the All Blacks brand after their classless comments to Sexton & O’Mahony after the final whistle in the qtr final.
Those comments will live with those players for ever, they decided to do that when they knew their opponents could not be at a lower ebb, retiring and last wc games, again Classless.
For me the Haka was something to be enjoyed but now jeered, I was delighted SA won the final and those 2 comments ring home, 4 more years & enjoy the retirement & flight home, 🫵
I was there at the game with the Irish drowning out the Haka in the stadium. I am not a kiwi but I found that incredibly disrespectful. Wouldn’t surprise me if the ABs took offense. O’Mahony is a twat tbf but I see most of the IRL players as professional
Clearly you’ve got amnesia. If the Ireland players aren’t enjoying the ‘classless comments’ then maybe they shouldn’t make any in the first place.
Classless comment on class. Oh the irony.
This was a team selection based on the this year’s World Cup not the final
Crybaby (boohoo)…😭
Glass houses
Waiting to see what our dear friend old Ben Smith has to say about the final…..lol...what….nothing Ben……cat got your tung…..?😆
Best Forward in the world , but not the best forward on the day. PSDT 28 rib crunchers 🥳
PSDT had a great game
seems like some sort of consolation prizes have been given out here, which is ok …. a real Bokke values team achievement way more than personal glory
(P.S.: Ardie Savea and Mark Telea are both great players and deserve their prize - congrats to them)
What a strange comment
I wait for TMO and Bunker review before I congratulate him…you never know it might be overturned
A+ comment
Oh no please…
Absolutely deserves it. Pity WR destroyed a credibility in the award years ago. Should be chosen by the players themselves.
Awesome couldn't have gone to a more deserving player, best news I’ve had all weekend, can't deny Eben had a brilliant year as well, but well done Ardie
Best forward in the world.
Only ONE Springbok in the dream team and no other wins. WR seems to dislike the Springboks just as much as the French crowd has done in Paris! Feel for Eben, he has been immense this year.
I am very sure, no Bokke would trade the Webb Ellis Trophy for personal glory
let me guess who that Spring Bok player was 🧐……Wayne Barnes? 😂
Well deserved. Plays with heart, courage and a silent dignity others would Well learn to copy. Walkingthe walk without all the talk.