Julian Savea for Moana Pasifika. Photo / Photosport
Julian Savea has won everything in New Zealand rugby.
From a World Cup with the All Blacks, Super Rugby with the Hurricanes and both the Ranfurly Shield and NPC with Wellington, Savea’s career is littered with honours for both club and country.
But now, turning Moana Pasifika into a Super Rugby force is front and centre in his mind as the 2025 season approaches.
At age 34, Savea is currently preparing for his second season with Moana, a team that’s still finding its feet at Super Rugby level against New Zealand sides that have been part of the competition since its inception.
Despite undeniable talent across all positions, Moana have only managed seven wins across three seasons.
While 2024 did see an upward trajectory, winning four games against Australian opposition, there is still plenty to do to contend for finals football.
But in the same sense that Rome wasn’t built in a day, success for Moana Pasifika will take time.
And as far as Savea is concerned, success for Moana needs to come one step at a time.
“For me, it’s just [about] winning games and playing the rugby we want to play,” he told the Herald.
“No doubt, we want to be able to make the playoffs every year. We want to be one of those teams.”
Helping Moana’s cause in 2025, though, is arguably the biggest player signing in Super Rugby history.
In July, Ardie Savea – Julian’s brother – announced he will move north from Wellington to Moana until the end of the 2027 season as part of his New Zealand Rugby contract.
At the time, Ardie Savea was the reigning World Rugby player of the year. And even though South Africa’s Pieter-Steph du Toit took the award in 2024, you’d be hard pressed to find a Moana player that agreed with it.
As far as the two brothers reuniting goes, Julian would have every right to be the most relieved player in all of Super Rugby.
The Savea brothers have only played against each other once, when the All Blacks faced the Barbarians in 2017 at Twickenham. On that occasion, Ardie claimed bragging rights, courtesy of a 31-22 victory.
Seven years on, though, Julian doesn’t make light of the lift Ardie’s arrival at North Harbour Stadium will bring to Moana Pasifika in 2025.
“It means everything, not only on the field but off the field. Having some pull power – maybe other players will want to come as well.
“That type of stuff is huge for the club. When he finally joins the team, his knowledge of the game as the best player, he has to have responsibility.
“We’re just going to prepare ourselves as best as possible. Then we can help where we need to, whether that be how we play the game, defending.
“But in terms of his presence, it’s massive for the team.”
Both Savea brothers have been vocal about how playing to represent their parents’ heritage is the overarching factor in pulling on Moana’s colours.
For too long, Pasifika rugby has been an afterthought of the game’s powerbrokers.
But the presence of both Moana Pasifika and the Fijian Drua can be the first step in righting that wrong, and give players the chance to be professionals without having to leave their families in New Zealand.
“One of our main themes last year was us being pioneers,” Savea explained. “All our ancestors, our grandparents, our parents coming here paved that way for us.”
“We don’t have to go overseas to go and play and earn money. To be part of that, to try to take this club to the next level, where players think, ‘Moana is my first choice’, it’s going to be powerful. To be part of that is special. For me, it’s [about] leaving this club in a better place.”
Standing at the front of Moana’s charge is former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga.
After two difficult years under Aaron Mauger, Umaga’s appointment this year coincided with Moana’s best performances to date.
As a boy in Wellington, Savea watched Umaga play for the Lions, Hurricanes and All Blacks. Now, as a player, getting to rub shoulders with him every day isn’t lost on Savea.
“It was kind of surreal, watching him growing up in that class of players – Jonah [Lomu], Christian Cullen.
“It was surreal coming in and meeting him, getting to know him a little bit better. He’s got that nice balance between when to have fun and when to enjoy the little moments.
“But when it’s time to cross that line, we all go. We work pretty hard. I really like that quality about him.”
On a personal note, Super Rugby 2025 can see Savea write his own name into history.
With 62 tries, the winger is only one behind former club and country teammate TJ Perenara.
However, given Perenara has departed New Zealand and Super Rugby for Japan, Savea will now have the chance to own the record outright.
And with no other active players in the top 10, Savea could have the potential to own that record for a considerable period.
As far as the man himself is concerned, though, personal milestones can and do take a back seat to the needs of his team.
“To be honest, it’s kind of a cherry on top,” he explained. “If it happens, it happens.”
“I’m super-proud of TJ, he’s been a close friend of mine for a very long time.
“It’s not about trying to take that [record]. My main focus is this team, and making sure we make those playoffs.”
Savea hasn’t worn the black jersey for over seven years since moving to Toulon in 2018 and returning to New Zealand in 2020.
As per World Rugby’s altered eligibility rules, that makes Savea eligible to turn out for Manu Samoa if selected.
That opportunity nearly eventuated at last year’s World Cup in France, only for injury to scupper Savea’s chances of wearing Samoa’s blue.
Since then, though, the union has gone through its own challenges, notably seeing head coach Seilala Mapusua’s tenure ended prematurely.
In August, Manu Samoa withdrew from their scheduled Northern Hemisphere tour for financial reasons.
While Savea is by no means shutting the door on the chance to play for Samoa, his priority lies with Moana Pasifika for the time being.
“It’s definitely there,” he said of his desire to represent Samoa. “I’m not putting it off, but it’s not my focus at the moment.”
“With everything that’s going down with the team, I’m just focusing on now and what’s ahead of me.
“At this stage, I can’t tell you.”
Alex Powell is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016, and previously worked for both Newshub and 1News.
Japan lock scored against the All Blacks in 2022.