Hurricanes

Bio

Julian Savea was on top of the rugby world in June 2010 when he won the 2010 IRB Junior Player of the Year. Savea was the star of the IRB World U20 tournament, scoring eight memorable tries in three games en route to the final and then helping New Zealand run through Australia 62-17. He marked his first-class debut in July 2010 with a length of the field runaway try that clinched an ITM Cup pre-season win for the Vodafone Wellington Lions over Canterbury. He started on the right wing in 12 of 14 ITM Cup games, scoring a further eight tries including a try on championship debut against Tasman and two more the following week against Otago.

Powerfully built and with speed to burn, the 103 kg, 1.92m Savea featured on the right wing for New Zealand in the 2010 World U20 tournament. He scored four tries in one match against Samoa and two each against Wales and South Africa, the latter as part of a 36-7 semi-final win.

Miramar born and bred, Savea was a star of the Rongotai first XV and first made the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ side as a year 12 student in 2007 and scored his first international try in the international against Australia in Sydney. This led to him being selected in the 2008 Hurricanes academy squad in 2008 while still at school.

As a Hurricanes academy member in 2008, he continued his terrific promise for the Hurricanes Schools side and again for the New Zealand Secondary Schools in internationals against Samoa and Australia, captaining this side.
He made his Wellington club rugby Premier debut for Ories in 2009 and immediately stamped his mark on the Swindale Shield when he crossed for five tries as a left winger in his second Premier start to help Ories to a 78-17 win over Old Boys-University.

Savea debuted for the New Zealand Sevens team at the 2009 Dubai Sevens and went on to play in the Sevens tournaments at Hong Kong, Adelaide, London and Scotland.

Savea’s younger brother Ardie captained the New Zealand Secondary Schools team in 2011.

Stats

Provincial Teams

Wellington

Provincial Points

40 (8 tries)

Provincial Caps

21

Provincial Debut

2010 v Tasman

Super Rugby Caps

12

Super Rugby Debut

2011 v Highlanders

Rugby facts

Position When Younger

Flanker - Under 12s

Most Admired Rugby Player

Joe Rokokoko

Biggest Rugby Influence

Mum and Dad