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The reason Ardie Savea turned down Pau's big-money offer to stay with the Hurricanes

By Online Editors
Ardie Savea. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Ardie Savea has revealed his motive behind turning down a big-money offer to move to Top 14 club Pau.

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Savea was the subject of a multitude of speculation last year as Pau and other top-tier clubs from around Europe entered negotiations with the 25-year-old to make him one of their own following this year’s World Cup.

The 35-test loose forward said it was difficult to turn down the riches of European club rugby, but said his decision to re-sign with New Zealand Rugby and the Hurricanes boiled down to keeping his one-year-old daughter Kobe in a settled, young family environment in Wellington.

“Staying here for the next couple of years I thought was the best option for myself and my family,” Savea told the Weekend Herald.

“To be quite honest, it wasn’t an easy decision, but at the end of the day, just wanting to stay in New Zealand, I’ve got a young family and my daughter’s just growing up and my parents are here, so having my daughter grow up around her grandparents … it was more for my family at the moment.

“I think at the time when I made that decision, it just felt right to stay home, but it wasn’t easy.”

A move to Pau would have been an ideal option for Savea given the club’s strong Kiwi presence through former All Blacks Colin Slade, Frank Halai, Tom Taylor, Benson Stanley, departing prop Jamie Mackintosh, Peter Saili, Daniel Ramsay, head coach Simon Mannix and assistant and Savea’s ex-Hurricanes teammate Conrad Smith.

Current All Blacks Ben Smith and Luke Whitelock will also join after the World Cup, but while a move to the French club would have significantly boosted Savea’s bank balance, he has no regrets on his decision to spurn the offer and opt to ink a new deal which will keep him in New Zealand until the end of 2021.

“I’m in a pretty blessed position to be where I am and grateful for the talent I’ve been given, so I’m just trying to make the most of it to enjoy my footy, help my family, help myself and influence the younger generation.

“If I can do that, particularly in New Zealand playing rugby, that’s fulfilling for me inside.”

Savea has continued to build on his reputation as one of Super Rugby’s most blockbusting loose forwards, alternating between openside flanker and No. 8 to make himself a formidable threat both with and without the ball.

He looms as a key figure within the All Blacks squad for the World Cup in Japan later this year, and should injured Chiefs co-captain Sam Cane struggle to return from his broken neck, Savea would be expected to start in the number seven jersey.

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After bing dismantled 32-8 by the Crusaders in Wellington on Friday night, Savea’s next appearance for the Hurricanes will come next week against the Highlanders in Dunedin in what will be his final match before he serves a mandatory rest week after playing six consecutive matches.

In other news:

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Trevor 1 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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Bull Shark 5 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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