Jeff Wilson believes that New Zealand teams won’t be sucked into a bidding war over Ardie Savea’s services ahead of next year’s Super Rugby Pacific season.
The All Blacks back-rower was set to rejoin Moana Pasifika following his latest stint in Japan with the Kobelco Kobe Steelers as per his New Zealand Rugby contract, which runs to the end of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
However, he is now looking for an alternative destination after the news of Moana’s disbandment at the end of the current Super Rugby Pacific season.
Ardie Savea’s future
He is not alone with all of the Pasifika players needing to find a new club, which won’t be an issue for Savea and captain Miracle Fai’ilagi, according to former All Blacks fly-half Stephen Donald.
“Those two players have got no stress,” Donald said on Sky Sport’s Breakdown show.
“They will have every team in the world asking about their availability. It’s the guys who are in the reserves and stuff like that. It’s the not-so-big-name players who are going to be stressing a lot more at the moment. Clearly, Ardie is going to end up at a New Zealand franchise next year.”
“That’s probably the hardest question for anybody to answer,” Wilson replied.
“You’ve got to look at the impact he could have, and I’d imagine next year he’ll probably be on a minutes restriction with it being a World Cup year. So how many games is he actually going to play?”
Why there won’t be a bidding war
Crippling financial pressure led to Moana’s demise after the club stopped receiving funding from World Rugby while their owners, the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA), are unable to bankroll the team beyond the current season, with their finances being compromised too.
Savea’s salary was set to be compensated by a third-party, with a report in the New Zealand Herald stating that Moana had managed to outbid the Hurricanes when the All Blacks star signed a new deal with NZ Rugby in 2024.
NZ Super Rugby clubs have been coy on the prospect of signing Savea following the news of Moana’s disbandment, with reports suggesting that the Blues are in pole position to land his signature. Wilson predicts that there won’t be a bidding war for Savea’s services as New Zealand teams simply don’t have the money to pay a premium for the loose forward, who may be on limited minutes in preparation for the World Cup.
Hurricanes’ ‘insensitive’ verdict on Ardie Savea talk in the wake of Moana Pasifika’s demise
“The one thing that no one’s going to get into is a bidding war because no one’s got any money; that’s the reality,” the former winger said.
“Ardie has got to make a decision about what’s going to be in the best interests of him and the team he goes to, and how he fits in. But also, what is it going to help him do in terms of preparation for a Rugby World Cup? It’s a really important decision because we know how impactful he can be. But there’s a lot of established loose forward trios out there.”
Why a return to the Hurricanes is unlikely
“I literally have no idea. I’d be straight guessing,” he added when pressed as to which club Savea could join.
With Hoksins Sotutu joining the Newcastle Red Bulls and Dalton Papali’i heading to French club Castres, the Blues could be in the market for a world-class loose forward ahead of the 2027 campaign.
A return to the Hurricanes looks unlikely, considering that they didn’t have the finances to match Moana’s offer in 2024, while the Wellington club already has a plethora of talented loose forwards on its books.
“I’m telling you, the Super Rugby franchises aren’t flush with money,” Wilson added.
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“You can’t keep going to a well and then all of a sudden, you get under this guise of will he play every game? How much of an influence will he have? Could you get other players that you’re looking at with that sort of investment?
“I get it, it’s a big conversation, but I think there’s a lot in play here. The Hurricanes have already indicated that they are not sure they’d be ready for him to go back there. They’ve got Du’Plessis Kirifi, Peter Lakai, and Brayden Iose. They’ve got some very good players and talented players coming through, and what does it do for your team when you go running and grab Ardie? That’s a big conversation.”