Julian Savea secures a Super Rugby contract for 2021
Former All Black and Hurricanes wing, Julian Savea, has signed with the Hurricanes for the 2021 season.
The 30-year-old returned from France earlier in the year and was called in as a replacement player during the closing weeks of Investec Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Since then, Savea has been back with the Wellington Lions, playing Mitre 10 Cup rugby and Hurricanes head coach, Jason Holland, says it’s “outstanding” to have his experience back in the capital.
“Physically, Julian is in great shape and we know what a threat he can be. He is in a great place mentally and will add volumes to our environment on and off the field.
Savea is among the most capped and highest scoring Hurricanes in franchise history – tallying 121 appearances and 52 tries.
But he is treating this signing as a separate, entirely new challenge.
“Being one of the most capped and coming back is awesome, but it just gives me the experience to understand that I’ve got to earn my spot – wherever that is. Adding to the statistics isn’t my priority, more so it’s playing the best rugby I can and putting myself in a great position where I can help the team and bring out the best of myself.”
Whilst it may have been two years since his last appearance for the side, there are plenty of familiar faces amidst the ranks including co-captain, Dane Coles and brother Ardie.
“I’m excited and grateful to be given another opportunity to put on the yellow again and play with my brothers,” Savea says.
“My ambition for 2021 is to make sure I prepare myself to the fullest by conditioning the body and mind, so I can not only make my family proud, but my mates also. If I do that, the rest will take care of itself.”
- Hurricanes Rugby
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Look there are a few unarguable facts here that are very clear. SARU was close to bankruptcy with SR, bailed out by the Lions and they need the URC and EPCR. Inclusion of SA teams in URC has been a great for for ALL concerned, from a rugby perspective and financially, moreover there is massive growth yet to come. The GP is in financial trouble and this will be the catalyst for EPCR change to further cement the Boks.
If this all plays out with even greater rewards for the urc AND the Top14 & GP via EPCR, the 6N will become 7N. Nz and Aus NEED to get their version firing with Japan & the PI’s, otherwise they will find themselves increasingly regressing…
Go to commentsPerofeta came back and was available for the eoyt right? Or was that why Love was in the squad (but got injured in the last week)?
It was such a frustrating year. Perofeta looked a service stop gap until Jordan was fit, but then got injured. Plummer was selected because of Pero's injury and dmac shat the bed in the second half in Australia but Clarke (?) got himself binned at the 65 min mark so Plummer couldn't come on (at least with the risk adverse Razors thinking) when he was planned to.
So many other exciting opportunities that could have happened without injuries, but then theyre probably balanced by knowing Sititi probably wouldn't have been given a chance without multiple injuries happened.
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