Julian Savea was born in Wellington and attended Rongotai College where he made the First XV in his second year of college. He excelled in drama, athletics and rugby, breaking school records in athletics which included running the 100m in under 11 seconds.

At 15 years old, he made the Wellington sevens team. In 2010 Savea was named IRB Junior Player of the Year after leading New Zealand to victory in the Junior World Championship. He scored eight tries in the tournament, including four in their match against Samoa.

The powerful winger went through the Hurricanes Academy and was part of the New Zealand Sevens side in 2009.

The following year he made his provincial debut for Wellington and then broke into the Hurricanes squad in 2011.

He established himself as one of the most lethal players in the game with his vicious fend and ability to score from almost anywhere. Savea earned selection for the All Blacks in 2012, making his debut against Ireland and scoring a hat-trick.

He played a total of 54 tests for the All Blacks. The nickname ‘the bus’ was inspired by his devastating style of play that made him a world rugby sensation.

After 153 games for the Hurricanes, Savea made the move to Moana Pasifika in 2024.

Savea was awarded Back of the Year at Moana Pasifika’s 2024 Prize-giving following an impactful season where he played in 12 matches, scoring two tries and recording a total of 227 post contact metres. This was the most in the whole competition during round robin.

He was an integral member of the All Blacks 2015 Rugby World Cup winning team and finished as the top try-scorer of the tournament with 8 tries. His bulldozing tries against France in the quarter-final became iconic.

In 2014 and 2015 Savea was nominated for World Rugby Player of the Year.

Despite playing his last match for the All Blacks in 2017, he is still ranked in the top five among New Zealand’s all-time highest try-scorers with 46 during his international career.

In 2018 he moved to France and played for RC Toulon in the Top 14.

In 2024, Savea won the NPC title with the Wellington Lions, scoring two tries in the match.

Moana Pasifika debut: 2024 v Highlanders

Nick Name: Julz/The bus