Ardie Savea faced major hurdles to join Moana Pasifika this season. Photo / Photosport
EXCLUSIVE
Ardie Savea proved a transformational presence at Moana Pasifika this season, but, behind the scenes, he had to overcome resistance from the All Blacks and major financial barriers from New Zealand Rugby to complete the most influential transfer in Super Rugby history.
Savea’s inspirational, follow-me leadership propelled Moana to a breakthrough campaign this year but with the hurdles he faced during contract negotiations, the groundbreaking move was almost blocked.
With Savea consistently leading the charge, Moana trumped four of their five New Zealand rivals, including the Crusaders and Blues for the first time, to surge within reach of their maiden playoff appearance before fading in their last two games of the season.
Savea’s impact, after assuming Moana’s captaincy, was lauded as he claimed Super Rugby’s MVP award with two regular season rounds remaining while generating widespread interest to significantly enhance the competition.
The story behind Savea’s fraught negotiations to sign with Moana, though, reveals how many issues, including the potential loss of 20% of his salary – estimated to be $200,000 – he encountered before switching teams.
The catalyst for Savea’s Super Rugby switch started at the 2023 World Cup when Tana Umaga visited the All Blacks changing rooms and the then world player of the year expressed interest in joining Moana.
Talks then accelerated as the deadline for Savea to decide his Super Rugby future approached the following year.
While Moana’s purpose is to create a pathway to strengthen the Tongan and Samoan national teams, the franchise licence agreement permits a maximum of three incumbent All Blacks on their roster. This provision was designed with the recognition Moana would need established leaders to be competitive.
While Savea was initially expected to re-sign with the Hurricanes, where he played for a decade, his intent to join Moana eventually became clear.
Those directly involved in negotiations with Savea and his wife told the Herald that the All Blacks and New Zealand Rugby representatives tried to discourage the world-class loose forward from joining Moana.
During an emotionally-charged 10-day period, everything from Moana’s financial position to their coaching, training base and high-performance staff were widely questioned, the Herald has been told.
Across their first two seasons, Moana won three games from 28 attempts. In 2024, that improved to four wins from 14. This year, in a memorable campaign, Moana achieved six victories.
“NZR did not want Ardie to go over to MP at all, even though there were provisions for it,” one well-placed source told the Herald.
“It made things really hard for Ardie.
“These roadblocks were put up because they were determined for Ardie to decline and commit to the Hurricanes.”
The Herald understands NZR voiced concerns that by joining Moana, Savea would become a less effective player; that his game would go backwards in an inferior programme and that he would, as a result, not be fit-for-purpose for the All Blacks.
It is understood these fears, and a lack of trust, led to Savea being presented with two contract options.
The first involved a guaranteed All Blacks top-up – the significant six-figure payment NZR makes to leading New Zealand players beyond their Super Rugby salaries – with the Hurricanes.
The second, should he join Moana, stipulated a portion of his All Blacks top-up was deemed “at risk” with key performance indicators to determine whether he would receive his full salary.
“They were stinging up to 20% of his total retainer,” the source familiar with negotiations told the Herald. “The quantum remained the same but they built in at-risk components.”
Twenty percent of Savea’s salary is estimated to be around $200,000.
At that point, Moana believed it was contractually impossible for Savea to make the switch.
“The way they had drafted it there was no way Ardie could sign,” the source said.
Moana sought assistance from New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association boss Rob Nichol to intervene as an independent party to help resolve the impasse.
While NZR had established workload protocols with the Hurricanes, there was a prevailing belief Moana would flog Savea.
Savea went on to play 12 of 14 games, scoring seven tries, for Moana this season. In many of those matches, he was the focal figure.
In 2024, he played 15 games for Japanese side Kobe before rejoining the All Blacks.
Savea’s case is the first time in history – other than short-term sabbatical stints to Japan and Europe – that any All Black, let alone one of the most senior, highest paid and valued figures, attempted to join a team that does not fall under the NZR umbrella.
The Herald understands NZR were also nervous about the precedent it could set, with Savea granted multiple sabbaticals in the same World Cup cycle (he will return to play for Kobe next year, before returning to Moana in 2027).
In response to questions from the Herald as to why 20% of Savea’s salary was deemed at risk by joining Moana, NZR issued a statement.
“NZR doesn’t comment on individual player contracts publicly other than to say we follow a fair and robust process that has proven success in keeping our players in New Zealand. NZR has established and agreed protocols with Moana Pasifika on the contracting and eligibility of players and this won’t change,” NZR said.
Moana Pasifika declined to comment.
“When anyone negotiates their contract, everything is heightened and it becomes personal and intense,” Nichol told the Herald of Savea’s situation.
“The circumstances around a top-line player making a significant commitment to stay in New Zealand is not straightforward. You get complexities around these arrangements. They’re massive in terms of a player’s career, their personal circumstances and family situation. They’re significant for NZ Rugby and they involve a significant level of investment.
“We were across the process. It was unprecedented in that we haven’t had this kind of example before. Where the parties started reflected that but throughout the process they were able to come together and reach a fair and reasonable arrangement.”
Savea is not the only All Black to flirt with joining Moana.
Anton Lienert-Brown and Tupou Vaa’i strongly considered moving from the Chiefs – and world-class playmaker Richie Mo’unga is expected to be a primary target when he returns to New Zealand from Japan to pursue the World Cup in 2027.
With Savea having pushed through financial deterrents and suggestions his performance would be a key turning point for Moana, it is hoped other All Blacks will not encounter the same resistance in future.
“With what Ardie has done with Moana it is groundbreaking, but a lot of what Moana is achieving is groundbreaking,” Nichol said. “Every time they’re able to go further it’s going to make things better in the future.
“If there was an All Black looking to play for Moana, Ardie has been the first and that helps. But I can almost guarantee depending on the player and individual circumstance, their status and options, there will be aspects of that arrangement that will need to be worked on quite hard.
“It’s one thing to draft an arrangement that says under their licence Moana is allowed three New Zealand international rugby players who have top ups, but the fact we’ve had one actually do it is always going to help the next person.
“The way Ardie played and the way the team has gone it’s probably not as big a challenge as was perceived 12 months ago.”
Liam Napier is a Senior Sports Journalist and Rugby Correspondent for the New Zealand Herald. He is a co-host of the Rugby Direct podcast.