Departure Of Warrior King, Ardie
After several years when in each of them, he should have been named the world's best rugby player, Ardie Savea was finally awarded the title two weeks ago.
Ardie is not staying around the Sports Institute in Heretaunga for 2024 and as the leader and captain of Hurricanes as he has taken a "sabbatical" to play for big bucks in Japan.
But he will be back for the ABs in their international part of the season.
Around 2013 I was in the Cossie club in Himitangi watching Hurricanes play one of the top NZ sides in the Super rugby comp. All Black great, Julian "The Bus" Savea scored one or two of his famous tries of the time and a bloke at the club said to me that his brother was going to be an even greater player. No way I had thought.
So cometh the time, cometh the man, and Ardie has probably outdone his older brother.
An Aunt of Ardie and Julian lives in Upper Hutt and she is very proud of her nephews.
I still believe that Ardie's best position in the loose forward department is openside flanker but he has been forced to hone some of his talents towards the number 8 role.
STILL IN THE GAME
The Hurricanes fell short a few metres shy of the finishing line. An inspired Chief's team and three forward passes - with two of them perhaps not so - cost us the Super Rugby Pacific grand final at a packed out Sky Stadium against the Blues.
The weekend was not the best thing happening for Wellington as the Pulse went down in extra time to the Tactics in Christchurch to give up the lead in the netball championship and the Saints move up the basketball championship ladder was halted by the Bulls - also after extra time.
Well in 2024 Wellington in the best regarded domestic and Pacific sport championships still has done and is still doing very well and overall is almost certainly the leading province in NZ sport for 2024.
The Phoenix team stretched their season in the A-League right through to the semi finals. Wellington Firebirds (men) won crickets prestigious 4-day Plunket Shield for the 2023-24 season and the Wellington Blaze (women) won the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield for one-day cricket for yet another season.
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Poll: Is it still rude to wear a hat inside?
Times have changed and perhaps so has our societal rules around taking off hats when indoors. What are your thoughts?
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74.8% Yes, take them off indoors
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24.1% No, it's not anymore
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1% Other - I'll share below
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