Julian Savea signs with Moana Pasifika for 2024 season

By Will Toogood

Super Rugby’s joint top try-scorer, Julian Savea, will be joining Moana Pasifika in next year’s Super Rugby competition.

Affectionately known as ‘The Bus’ to rugby fans around the world, the 54-test All Black and proud Samoan will don the ocean blue for the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season.

The 2015 Rugby World Cup winner announced his departure from the Hurricanes earlier this month via social media, which was later confirmed by Hurricanes management.

In an Instagram post, the winger said: “It’s been an absolute pleasure to represent this club and my home team over the past 11 years and I’m grateful for the brotherhood I formed over the years, the memories I have made, the knowledge I have learnt and milestones I’ve achieved at the Hurricanes.

“Not the departure I had planned or hoped for but that’s rugby for you and sometimes it’s brutal.”

Since the 33-year-old’s debut for the Hurricanes in 2011, he has forged a remarkable legacy.

With 60 tries in 153 Super Rugby games, Savea stands alongside Israel Folau as the competition’s all-time top scorers – Moana Pasifika will hope he tops the table alone next season.

Savea also departs the Hurricanes as the most-capped player in their 27-year history.

Moana Pasifika are adding more firepower to their already explosive wing stocks – Savea joins Tima Fainga’anuku, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Tomasi Alosio and Anzelo Tuitavuki and brings his wealth of experience as well as dynamic pace, strength and finish ability.

Hailing from the villages of Siumu, Luatuanu’u, and Falesiu Uta in Samoa, Savea has garnered a large following in the Pacific since his storied professional rugby career began.

Parents Lina and Masina Savea are both Samoan-born, having migrated to New Zealand in their youth, and have raised their sons Julian & Ardie to be proud of their Samoan heritage.

Savea first joined the Hurricanes in 2010, scoring eight tries during his breakout season and was touted as the next Jonah Lomu.

After eight seasons with the franchise, he left for French side Toulon, where he scored 10 tries in the 2019/20 Top 14 campaign.

He then returned to the Hurricanes in 2020 for Super Rugby Aotearoa, but was unable to recapture the devastating form that had earned him those Jonah Lomu comparisons.

Savea was first named in the All Blacks in 2012, scoring a hat-trick on debut against Ireland – the first All Black to score three tries against Ireland in one match.

Across his international career, Savea was one of the most prolific try-scorers in rugby history, tied in second for the All Blacks with 46, alongside Christian Cullen and Joe Rokocoko.

Nominated for World Rugby’s Player of the Year award in 2014 – which was ultimately won by teammate Brodie Retallick – he was then named in the All Blacks’ 2015 Rugby World Cup-winning side, scoring eight tries to equal the tournament record.

He was again nominated for Player of the Year in 2015, this time beaten by Dan Carter, but picked up Try of the Year for his wrecking-ball effort against France at the World Cup.

Savea scored three tries in 11 matches in this year’s Super Rugby Pacific season.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission