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Hurricanes name Ardie Savea as captain for 2021 Super Rugby season
By Online Editors
Ardie Savea has been named as captain of the Hurricanes for the 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa season.
The experienced loose forward’s first home game in the role on February 27 will double as his 100th cap for the franchise.
Savea says he is honoured to have the opportunity to lead.
“This is getting out of my comfort zone, but I feel like this is a time to step up and I’ve got a lot of great leaders beside me, as well as Colesy, who I’ve been observing. He’s a man of action, which is what I’m big on too," he said.
“I’m also big on connection and family, which are part of our team values. We’ve got great leaders who can lead on and off the field, so for me it’s about bringing each individual’s strengths out.”
Savea’s illustrious rugby career spans his entire twenties. Debuting against the Waratahs in 2013, the 27-year-old has been a solid feature for the All Blacks since 2016, and was part of the Hurricanes outfit which won the Super Rugby title.
Head coach, Jason Holland, says Savea is a fantastic talent.
“Ardie has been an integral part of our club for a long time and has the complete respect of everyone," Holland said.
“He has played a major part in leading this team in his own way for the last few years and the boys will be desperate to follow him in the way they have followed Colesy and TJ in recent years.”
- Hurricanes Rugby
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Latest Comments
Well deserved for a young talented, bright and humble player.
Go to commentsCane shouldn’t have been one last year, based purely on performances. Lakai is as close to a like for like of swap of Savea you’re ever likely to find, based on his short career so far at least. He has many of the same qualities - very strong ball carrier, great at the breakdown, and an absolute work horse on defence. I feel like he and Sititi could lead the way in the loose at the next WC.
I think we have become obsessed with replacing Kaino with someone exactly like him. Kaino was a perfect foil for the other loose forwards we had at the time. Based on the talent we have around at the moment those players could be made up in the aggregate by three players who are all exception all rounders - Lakai, Sititi, and Savea. Missing some height for sure but Sititi’s defensive work in the line out last year was phenomenal. He gets off the ground so quickly and was able to steal a couple of balls off the top of the springbok line out.
If our young locks coming through can actually stay fit long enough to get selected, it seems inevitable that Va’ai could end up in a hybrid 6/lock role.
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