New details have emerged around Ardie Savea’s contract talks with New Zealand Rugby, shedding light on a turbulent few weeks late last year.
According to a New Zealand Herald report by rugby writer Gregor Paul, there was no player revolt behind Scott Robertson’s sudden exit as All Blacks coach despite widespread speculation at the time.
Instead, Savea’s situation was more personal.
“There’s a level of confusion about it … What was Ardie hoping for? He met David Kirk in early November to say, ‘look, I don’t think I can carry on’,” Paul said.
The discussions, however, were short-lived. By mid-December, talks had shifted towards keeping Savea in New Zealand.
“So, it wasn’t a very long period … that’s about five weeks,” Paul explained. “He was willing to accept that there were no levers as such that New Zealand Rugby could pull … he’d taken both of those [sabbatical options].”
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Paul believes the 2023 World Rugby Player of the Year simply ran out of steam after an intense schedule.
“But as a result, my gut feel here is that he just overstretched himself … he underestimated his calendar.
“He put a lot of effort into his rugby, and he just probably underestimated the impact of all that. And at 32, I think he just probably hit the wall a little bit, and he just didn’t really know what to do.”
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Savea’s demanding schedule shows little sign of easing. The All Blacks have a packed 2026 Test calendar – including a gruelling eight-match tour to South Africa – with just one match scheduled in his hometown of Wellington.
Paul also revealed that discussions are ongoing about potentially managing Savea’s workload, including the possibility of him missing the July Test window before returning later in the season.
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