bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Agence France-Presse

Dynamic New Zealand sevens star Ardie Savea has abandoned his Olympic dream, announcing Sunday he wants to focus on trying to establish an All Blacks test career.
The Wellington Hurricanes loose forward will be challenging Sam Cane for the All Blacks openside flanker role vacated by the now retired Richie McCaw.
Savea was not immediately available for comment after releasing his decision through the New Zealand Rugby (NZR), but national sevens coach Gordon Tietjens said he was “disappointed” at the news.

“There’s little doubt Ardie could’ve been a key player for us in Rio,” Tietjens said.
Savea, a younger brother of All Blacks Test wing Julian Savea, was a member of the New Zealand sevens team that won back-to-back tournaments in Wellington and Sydney earlier this year.
He was among a few Olympic prospects released to play Super rugby but was scheduled to rejoin the sevens squad for the last two rounds of the World Series in Paris and London next month.
“We’re naturally disappointed that we can no longer call on the services of such a great sevens player,” NZR general manager Neil Sorensen said.
“He could well have made a huge impact at Rio as he’s a classy player and he proved that again in Wellington and Sydney. However, we understand his reasons.”
Sam Cane has been moulded by All Blacks coach Steve Hansen to replace McCaw and has also been named as a future test captain.
Savea, however, is also known to be on the All Blacks radar and in 2013 he was taken on the November northern hemisphere tour as a non-playing “apprentice” with Hansen saying he wanted to introduce the powerful runner “to the way of the All Black life”.


Fiji’s sevens players return home to a heroes welcome after landing country’s first Olympic gold

Hong Kong Sevens champions Fiji complete Rio rout of Great Britain to claim historic first Olympic gold

Favourites Fiji to face Japan in Olympic sevens semis while South Africa meet confident Team GB

Turning point for rugby sevens – US ready for Olympics-inspired revolution

HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2015-16

New Zealand sevens star drops Olympic dream to focus on All Blacks

Ardie Savea hopes to make the All Blacks breakthrough. Photo: EPA

epa05260068 Ardie Savea (C) of the Hurricanes celebrates scoring a try from the ruck during the Round 8 Super Rugby match between the Melbourne Rebels and the Wellington Hurricanes at AAMI Park, in Melbourne, Australia, 15 April 2016. EPA/TRACEY NEARMY AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

Sport

Rugby

HK Sevens

Ardie Savea says he wants to focus on 15s career


Dynamic New Zealand sevens star Ardie Savea has abandoned his Olympic dream, announcing Sunday he wants to focus on trying to establish an All Blacks test career.


Rio 2016 Olympic Games