Moana Pasifika captain Ardie Savea has been named the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific player of the year after establishing an unassailable lead in voting with two weeks left in the regular season.
The 31-year-old collected the maximum six votes at the weekend, and 42 votes across the season so far, putting him beyond the reach of Tom Hooper (31 votes) and Damian McKenzie (28 votes) a fortnight out from the finals series.
Savea had been an imposing force for Moana Pasifika on both sides of the ball in his 10 appearances this season, scoring five tries, making more than 350 post-contact metres, completing 110 tackles and winning 15 turnovers, Super Rugby Pacific said in a statement yesterday.
"Ardie’s passionate leadership and dominant performances for Moana Pasifika this year have made an indelible mark on his team-mates, his opponents and our competition as a whole," Super Rugby Pacific chief executive Jack Mesley said.
"He has received votes from the opposition in almost every game he has played this season, which reflects the consistency of his output and influence on his team."
Player of the year is a peer-voted award, where players are voted on by their fellow players and coaches each week. — APL
