‘King’ Julian Savea is officially Super Rugby Pacific’s all-time top try scorer

Former Hurricanes and now Moana Pasifika star Julian Savea has become the all-time top try scorer for Super Rugby Pacific after scoring his 61st try against the Melbourne Rebels on Friday.

Savea surpassed ex-Waratahs full-back Israel Folau, who has been on top of the try scoring charts for some time, even after his career with the side was cut short after being sacked for homophobic comments in 2019.

The physical winger known as ‘The Bus’ for his ability to barge through opponents, burst onto the scene for the Hurricanes in 2012 after making his debut in 2011 for the club.

12 years ago, Julian Savea scored his first ever try for the @Hurricanesrugby ????

Today he is equal top try scorer of all-time!

Can he break the record this weekend?#SuperRugbyPacific pic.twitter.com/lhFF0KLNv2

— Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) May 10, 2023

Particularly during his younger years, the robust runner was an absolute game-changer in every sense of the word; bursting through defenders with ease. Pair that with his natural instinct to find his way over the whitewash and there is an absolute game changer.

His powerful runs earned him comparisons to the great Jonah Lomu and it was not long before Savea donned the famous black jersey as a result of his Super Rugby form.

Savea’s try-scoring nature would show at Test level as well where he joined Lomu and Bryan Habana in holding the record for most tries (eight) at a single World Cup tournament.

In 2018 the star traded the yellow of the Hurricanes for the red of Toulon in a move that did not prove a success, with owner Mourad Boudjellal infamously asking for a DNA test.

The star returned to New Zealand and the Hurricanes in 2020 where he has been since racked up over 150 Super Rugby caps, becoming the club’s most-capped player before moving to Moana Pasifika this season.

The player has changed significantly since his debut, changing out his seemingly brash nature that struck fear into defenders to a more mature figure and one who is a leader – valuable attributes for his more mentor style role at his new team Moana Pasifika.

Simply put, Julian Savea is a legend of the southern hemisphere game in every sense.

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