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All Black Ardie Savea crowned World Rugby player of the year
By Josh Raisey
Ardie Savea has been crowned the World Rugby men’s player of year for the first time.
The No8 was immense for the All Blacks in their World Cup campaign, and shone in the final despite narrowly losing to South Africa 12-11.
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The 30-year-old beat World Cup winner Eben Etzebeth, 2021 winner Antoine Dupont and Ireland’s Bundee Aki to the award.
Savea was also included in the dream team, while his teammate Mark Telea was named the breakthrough player of the year.
Outstanding.
Ardie is a great player and congratulations to him. In a best team selection from the All Blacks and the Boks, he’d be in my team. However, Etzebeth would likely be the first name on my team sheet, this year and last year and maybe even 4 years ago.
It’s about time the players are asked to vote. Looking back in time, some of the best players in the world have been overlooked for the recognition. As a Bok fan, two worthy winners would have been Fourie du Preez and Eben Etzebeth. Yet for some reason, they never made it ….
Let the players voices be heard.
How does a player from a team lucky to be in the top 5 win player of the year. New Zealand suffered plenty defeats against way better sides who had much better player’s than the New Zealand number 8
Well done, Ardie! Well deserved. You played your heart out in all your matches.
From a Boks supporter.
Farcical decision. If it’s based on the WC then why no SA player? If it’s based on the last year, NZ have been poor (by their standards). Sam Cane’s performance against Ireland, Steph Du Toit in the final.
Clearly, he’s a world-class player, but what’s the issue with Dupont? Is it because he’s French? If it’s a year-long form, Bundi Aki. He also has a fine World Cup.
Absolute joke, as usual. That’s no disrespect to the player, he’s been excellent during the WC but so have other players. If you are the captain of a team, and they struggled for a year, then surely taht rules you out?
Well deserved.
I have been critical of the blacks discipline and continued rule breaking in this World Cup but I take my hat of to their coaches for nearly winning a RWC with an average blacks team. They need to look deeper now it’s over. So congrats to coaches for making this cup a classic and just to throw debate forward rugby union needs to find better referees 4 sure
Well deserved award for an man of immense stature in rugby.
Here is a dumb idea. The players/ participants themselves have their own vote on a ‘Players POTY’. That way, the voting doesn’t remain a politburo exclusive.
Well-earned, he played massive in the final - a bit light for a 8-man but all credit