Ardie Savea [Source: World Rugby]

Ardie Savea has been named World Rugby’s men’s player of the year.

It comes a day after the All Blacks’ 12-11 defeat to South Africa in the World Cup final in Paris, but Savea’s outstanding form throughout the season was too strong to ignore.

The other finalists were Ireland’s Bundee Aki, France’s Antonie Dupont and South Africa’s Eben Etzebeth.

Savea joins Dan Carter (2005, 2012, 2015), Richie McCaw (2006, 2009, 2010), Keiran Read (2013), Brodie Retallick (2014), and Beauden Barrett (2016, 2017) as New Zealand men’s winners.

Savea was one of three New Zealand players to win major awards in Paris with Mark Telea also named the men’s breakout player of the year and Tyla Nathan-Wong recognised as the women’s sevens player of the year.

Since making his Test debut last November – where he scored two tries against Scotland – Telea’s form has made it almost impossible to keep out of the All Blacks’ first-choice line-up unless he was injured or broke a curfew.

Nathan-Wong pipped sevens sister Michaela Blyde for the prize and comes after she swapped codes earlier this year to realise a childhood dream by playing in the NRLW and has since also made her international debut with the Kiwi Ferns.

Savea was also named in the men’s 15s dream team of the year with Scott Barrett, Richie Mo’unga and Will Jordan joining him. The rest of the squad was made up of five players each from Ireland and France, including New Zealand-born Bundee Aki, as well as South Africa’s Eben Etzebeth.

Departing Ian Foster was also up for coach of the year but missed out to Ireland’s Andy Farrell.

Besides the awards, Carter, along with Thierry Dusautoir (France), George Smith (Australia), Juan Martín Hernández (Argentina) and Bryan Habana (South Africa) were also inducted into the Hall of Fame.

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