Why Savea Missed The All Blacks’ Cape Town Flight — And When He Returns
The All Blacks received a warm welcome in Cape Town as fans gathered at DHL Stadium to catch a glimpse of the New Zealand stars ahead of the highly anticipated Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in South Africa.
For head coach Dave Rennie, the reception was a reminder of the unique support the All Blacks enjoy in South Africa, particularly in Cape Town, despite being the visiting side.
“It’s incredible!” Rennie said. “The players often talked about the support that all the Super Rugby teams got here, and that the All Blacks get here, so Cape Town is an awesome place to start our campaign.”
With New Zealand set to spend several weeks in South Africa, Rennie acknowledged that managing the squad would require a careful balance between preparation, match commitments and giving the players an opportunity to experience the country.
“It’s a balance on a pretty tight schedule,” he explained. “We have moments where one group is playing while another group is training on the same day.”
Rennie stressed the importance of ensuring the players do not become consumed by rugby during their extended stay.
“We’ve got to make sure that we embrace the country and embrace the challenge. You’ve got to get your head out of footy at times too, so we’ll definitely make sure we enjoy a bit of downtime.”
The All Blacks travelled to South Africa in three separate groups, with the majority of the squad now safely in the country.
“Everyone is here except Ardie (Savea),” Rennie confirmed, adding that the final group arrived on Friday morning.
Savea’s delayed arrival was due to changes in the team’s travel plans following disruptions in the Gulf region. The squad had originally planned to travel via Dubai but had to make alternative arrangements.
“We were due to arrive via Dubai, but lots is happening in the Gulf, so we ended up having to make some changes,” Rennie explained. “We’ve made it work. One group came through Hong Kong, another through Singapore and one through Perth.”
While Savea will miss the All Blacks’ clash against the Sharks, Rennie confirmed that the influential loose forward will be available for the opening Test.
“Ardie arrives just after the Sharks game,” Rennie said.
“Ardie will definitely be available for the first Test. He has had a massive workload. He has been training and playing since January 2025, so it’s been about 18 months of top-level footy.”
The decision to give Savea additional time away from rugby was made with his workload firmly in mind. Rennie revealed that the 32-year-old had been reluctant to take a break during the previous series, prompting the All Blacks to manage his schedule differently this time.
“We wanted him to take some time out, which he didn’t want to do in the previous series,” Rennie said, referring to the inaugural Nations Championship.
Savea will therefore miss the Stormers fixture and will also sit out the match against the Bulls before the opening Test. Instead, the 2023 World Player of the Year will arrive in South Africa with ample time to prepare for the series opener.
“He’ll be in South Africa 10 days before the Test,” Rennie confirmed.
With the All Blacks facing a demanding campaign in South Africa, Rennie’s focus will be on striking the right balance between intensive preparation and managing his players’ physical and mental wellbeing.
For now, however, the New Zealand camp appears to be embracing the challenge and can draw confidence from the enthusiastic welcome they received in Cape Town.
