WELLINGTON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - All Black Ardie Savea was named the best rugby player in New Zealand for the third time on Thursday after a season in which he won his 100th test cap and inspired Moana Pasifika to their best Super Rugby campaign.
The 32-year-old loose forward added a third Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year award to his 2019 and 2023 honours at Thursday's New Zealand Rugby awards.
He also walked away with the prizes for the best All Blacks player and best New Zealand Super Rugby player.
Savea, World Rugby Player of the Year in 2023, in May won the inaugural overall Super Rugby Player of the Year award with two rounds of the season still to play.
"Ardie has a level of consistency that is unmatched, and his three awards tonight demonstrate that," New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson said in a statement.
"He keeps raising the bar for what's possible on an individual level, and brings his inspirational leadership to every environment. He is massively respected domestically and internationally."
Teenager Braxton Sorensen-McGee, World Rugby's Women's Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2025, won the Black Ferns Player of the Year and New Zealand Age Grade Player of the Year.
Jorja Miller, who won the Kelvin R Tremain award last year, added the Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year award to her World Rugby Women's Sevens Player of the Year title.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; editing by Cynthia Osterman)
