LONG READ New Zealand hails the 'Ardie effect'

No one, not even head coach Tana Umaga who made such an impassioned sales pitch and fought so hard to make the deal happen, could have imagined just how much impact Ardie Savea would have by joining Moana Pasifika.

When Savea signed in July last year, Moana had only just found a financial backer to save them from possible extinction or at least needing a heavy financial bailout to continue.

Having entered Super Rugby Pacific in 2022, it had been a hard and unrewarding slog for the club – a time in which they hadn’t managed to build an identity, find a permanent home, muster a fan base or attract the quality of players they had initially been hoping for.

They had finished last in both 2022 and 2023, and second last in 2024, and as a consequence, they didn’t have a sustainable revenue stream.
As the 2024 season started to reach the business end, there was not certainty Moana would survive into 2025.

But everything changed when Pasifika Medical Association [PMA] stepped in to bankroll the team, and with the finances underpinned, Moana made their permanent base at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland, and Savea was able to commit.

Still, even with a secure balance sheet and a home ground, there were plenty of commentators and officials within New Zealand Rugby, who felt Savea was taking a major risk opting to leave the Hurricanes for Moana.

But Savea saw it differently. He was Wellington born and bred and had played for the Hurricanes since 2013 (taking a sabbatical season with Kobe last year).

And it was while he was in Japan, that he realised he wanted another new and different challenge when he returned home.

He was willing to extend his New Zealand Rugby contract through to 2027, but he wasn’t sure about staying in Wellington with the Hurricanes.
He was turning 31 and he feared it wouldn’t challenge him to go back to what he knew and what he had always done.

Savea can’t be solely credited for transforming the club, but his influence in taking Moana from the bottom of the table to genuine playoff contenders has been undeniably huge.

Additionally, he’d always felt a strong connection to his Samoan heritage – his mum and dad were both born there – and that he wanted to give back in some way.

He didn’t feel it would be right to stand down for three years after the 2027 World Cup and then commit to playing for Samoa – he’d be 36 by then – so the best way to find that connection was to sign for Moana, who had provision in their licence to carry up to three current All Blacks in their squad.

It was a massive PR triumph for Moana at a time when they needed a PR triumph, but it has also turned out to be the single greatest signing in the history of Super Rugby, and against all predictions, a career catalyst for Savea.

Savea can’t be solely credited for transforming the club, but his influence in taking Moana from the bottom of the table to genuine playoff contenders who have defeated the Blues, Hurricanes, Highlanders and Crusaders this year, has been undeniably huge.

His form has been off the charts and against the Blues – in what was effectively a playoff game to make the playoffs – he produced arguably the single best performance anyone has seen in Super Rugby.

It was frankly insane what he pulled off. There were all the usual hallmarks of his work – critical turnovers, big leg drive ball carries and thumping tackles.

But so too was there tactical kicking, backfield brilliance under the high ball and an unforgettable passage where he chipped the ball over the defence with his left foot and regathered.

It was no wonder that he was crowned Super Rugby Player of the Season by his peers shortly after that performance – taking an unassailable lead in the player vote – as his brilliance has inspired Moana to the verge of the playoffs.

Savea was World Player of the Year in 2023, but in 2025, albeit at Super Rugby level only so far, he’s been at an entirely new level again.

Savea was World Player of the Year in 2023, but in 2025, albeit at Super Rugby level only so far, he’s been at an entirely new level again.
“Well, it just astounds me sometimes,” Umaga said of Savea after the 27-21 defeat of the Blues.

“I don’t know if anyone can get any better, but he keeps doing it, and I think it’s just amazing what he puts himself through, how he prepares and also how much it means to him.”

Savea’s individual contribution to this year’s campaign has been titanic, but his influence has pervaded far beyond the field, and by all accounts, he has lifted training standards, clearly defined expectations around what it means to be a professional, and reshaped mindsets to not be satisfied with occasional victories.

As he said after the Blues match: “For me, it’s like enjoying the highs, but also staying in the middle and Tana talked about consistency, like we can have an awesome game tonight, get complacent and then turn up next week and get pumped.

“I don’t want that, so I will celebrate tonight and come in on Monday, we’re back to work, and we’ll get better.”

Savea was signalling that despite having banked six wins, he won’t be happy if Moana don’t push on now to make the playoffs, which is likely going to require them to win against one of their last two opponents who are the Chiefs and Hurricanes.

Regardless of whether Moana make the last six or not, there is no denying that the arrival of one man has turned them into a genuine contender.
But that has raised a few questions about the ability of Moana to sustain their form beyond this year.

Savea has a sabbatical option that he can take between now and the end of his contract in 2027, and the expectation is that he’s going to be playing in Japan in 2026 and not in Super Rugby Pacific.

Savea has a sabbatical option that he can take between now and the end of his contract in 2027, and the expectation is that he’s going to be playing in Japan in 2026 and not in Super Rugby Pacific.

He spent 2024 with Kobe Steelers and earned close to $2m for it and given that he’d likely be offered the same sort of money again to go back to Japan, it’s difficult to see how he will say no and play for Moana next year.

“I still haven’t decided that yet,” Savea said last week. “It’s something that my (management) team is talking about.

“I love it here, but also obviously looking after the family as well and whatnot. So it’s a decision still to be made.”

If he does skip Super Rugby next year, can Moana’s squad continue to drive themselves to the extent they have in 2025?

As Moana chief executive Debbie Soresnsen said of Savea earlier this year: “He brings a level of professionalism and demonstrates excellence every day; that requires everyone to lift their game, not just the squad but the whole organisation.

“We understand what a gift he’s brought to the franchise, we’re incredibly grateful for that.

“We’re learning so much from him, every day. It’s not only his ability as the world’s best rugby player, it’s the way he conducts himself personally. He’s authentic with his values, he’s in an environment where he’s able to practise those.

“The Ardie effect is strong and alive inside the club. We’re incredibly grateful he’s made that choice.”

What Savea has done is show the potential of the club and prove that Moana can add value to Super Rugby Pacific

And then there is the question of whether the support will be at the same level next year if Savea is not playing. There were 12,000 people at North Harbour to see Moana beat the Blues – but how much of that is down to the “Ardie effect”, and the sense of the club being genuine contenders while he’s involved?

Or, put another way, will the interest in Moana dwindle without Savea and if it does, what will that do the club’s bank account which is already challenged as it is in paying the bills.

These are big questions because what Savea has done is show the potential of the club and prove that Moana can add value to Super Rugby Pacific and fulfil the brief of being a team that adds vibrancy, intrigue and drama to the competition.

But what we haven’t seen yet is whether the same can be said if Savea is not around.