Ardie Savea facts for kids
Savea representing New Zealand during the haka
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| Full name | Ardie Suemalo Savea | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 14 October 1993 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Wellington, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 107 kg (236 lb; 16 st 12 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Rongotai College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Julian Savea (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ardie Suemalo Savea (born 14 October 1993) is a famous New Zealand rugby union player. He plays as a Number 8 or Flanker. Ardie currently plays for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby and Wellington in the Bunnings NPC. In 2023, he was named the World Rugby Player of the Year, which is a huge honor!
Contents
Ardie Savea: A Rugby Star
Early Life and School
Ardie Savea comes from a Samoan family. He went to Rongotai College for high school. He was the captain of his school's top rugby team in his final year. Ardie was also the head prefect, showing he was a leader even then. In high school, he played as an outside center, but later changed to a forward position in professional rugby.
Starting His Rugby Journey
Ardie Savea began his international career playing for the New Zealand Sevens team. This is a faster, seven-a-side version of rugby. In 2013, he joined the Hurricanes team, a big step in his career.
In November 2013, Ardie traveled to Europe with the All Blacks, New Zealand's national team. His older brother, Julian, who also played rugby, went with him. The coach, Steve Hansen, wanted Ardie to learn about being an All Black. He was the first young player to join the team as an apprentice.
Playing for the All Blacks
Becoming a Regular Player
In 2015, Ardie became a regular player for the Hurricanes. He even captained the Wellington team for a while. In 2016, Ardie decided to focus on the full 15-a-side rugby game. He was then chosen for the All Blacks squad to play against Wales.
Ardie made his first game for the All Blacks on 11 June 2016. He came off the bench and helped his team win. The next week, he scored his first try for New Zealand in front of his home crowd in Wellington. He quickly became an important player for the All Blacks. In his first year, he played 12 games for the team.
Key Moments and Successes
Ardie was one of the top try-scorers in the 2017 Super Rugby season. He scored six tries that year, including two in the first ten minutes of a game! He also played a big role when the All Blacks played against Samoa and the British and Irish Lions.
In 2018, Ardie continued to play well for the All Blacks. He scored an amazing try against France. He also had a fantastic game against Argentina, earning his first "Man of the Match" award. He scored a crucial try against South Africa, helping the All Blacks win a very close game. By the end of 2018, many people thought Ardie was one of New Zealand's best players.
Rugby World Cup and Top Awards
In 2019, Ardie was a key player for the Hurricanes. Many former All Blacks praised his consistent performance. He was chosen for New Zealand's squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. He played in all the pool matches and scored New Zealand's only try in the semi-final against England.
Ardie was nominated for the World Rugby Player of the Year award in 2019. This is a huge honor! His brother, Julian, had also been nominated before, making them the first brothers to both be nominated for this award. Ardie also won the New Zealand rugby player of the year award.
In 2023, Ardie Savea was officially named the World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year. This shows he was the best male rugby player in the world that year!
International Tries List
Ardie Savea has scored many tries for the All Blacks. Here is a list of his international test tries:
| Try | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 June 2016 | Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand | Wales | 36–22 (won) | 2016 mid-year internationals |
| 2 | 17 September 2016 | AMI Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand | South Africa | 41–13 (won) | 2016 Rugby Championship |
| 3-4 | 16 June 2017 | Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand | Samoa | 78-0 (won) | 2017 June rugby union tests |
| 5 | 9 June 2018 | Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand | France | 52-11 (won) | 2018 June rugby union tests |
| 6 | 15 September 2018 | Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand | South Africa | 34-36 (lost) | 2018 Rugby Championship |
| 7 | 6 October 2018 | Loftus Versfield Stadium, Pretoria, South Africa | South Africa | 30-32 (won) | 2018 Rugby Championship |
| 8 | 7 September 2019 | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, New Zealand | Tonga | 92-7 (won) | 2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches |
| 9 | 26 October 2019 | International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan | England | 19-7 (lost) | 2019 Rugby World Cup |
| 10 | 18 October 2020 | Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand | Australia | 27–7 (won) | 2020 end-of-year internationals |
| 11 | 28 November 2020 | McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, Australia | Argentina | 38-0 (won) | 2020 Rugby Championship |
| 12 | 17 July 2021 | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, New Zealand | Fiji | 60-13 (won) | 2021 mid-year internationals |
| 13 | 14 August 2021 | Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand | Australia | 57-22 (won) | 2021 Rugby Championship |
| 14 | 2 October 2021 | Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast, Australia | South Africa | 31-29 (lost) | 2021 Rugby Championship |
| 15 | 20 November 2021 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France | France | 40-25 (lost) | 2021 autumn internationals |
| 16-17 | 2 July 2022 | Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand | Ireland | 42-19 (won) | 2022 mid-year internationals |
| 18 | 3 September 2022 | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, New Zealand | Argentina | 53-3 (won) | 2022 Rugby Championship |
| 19 | 5 November 2022 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales | Wales | 55-23 (won) | 2022 autumn internationals |
| 20 | 8 July 2023 | Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza, Argentina | Argentina | 41-12 (won) | 2023 Rugby Championship |
| 21-22 | 29 September 2023 | OL Stadium, Lyon, France | Italy | 96-17 (won) | 2023 Rugby World Cup |
Updated: 1 October 2023
Life Off the Field
Ardie's older brother, Julian, also played rugby for the Hurricanes and the All Blacks. Ardie is a father of three children. He married his partner, Saskia, in 2018.
Besides rugby, Ardie and his wife run a clothing company together. He also cares a lot about mental health and talks about it to help others. Recently, Ardie started his own podcast, sharing his thoughts and experiences.
Honours
Ardie Savea has won many awards and honors throughout his rugby career.
- New Zealand
- Rugby World Cup
- Third-place: 2019
- Second place: 2023
- Individual
- 1× World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year: 2023
- Super rugby
- 2016 Champions
See Also
In Spanish: Ardie Savea para niños
