Rugby: Julian Savea joins the Wellington Lions for the Mitre 10 Cup

Julian Savea will be playing for Wellington in the Mitre 10 Cup.

The former All Blacks winger had been playing for French club Toulon since 2018, but made the move home with his family in May.

Since his return, Savea has played one game of club rugby for Oriental-Rongotai and was contracted as injury cover for the Hurricanes during the last two weeks of Super Rugby Aotearoa.

Savea debuted for Wellington in 2010, and, in between stints with the All Blacks, also captained the side in 2017, when Wellington bounced back from the lows of relegation in 2014 to finally return to the top flight with a victory over Bay of Plenty in the Championship final.

After being rumoured as a potential signing for Auckland and North Harbour, Savea says he's delighted to return to his old province.

"Really excited to announce I'm coming back home to where it all began. To be able to put this jersey on means the world to me and to be back home with the brothers, representing Wellington, is an honour and a privilege."

Julian Savea. Photo / Photosport

Last year's Wellington captain, Du'Plessis Kirifi, says Savea brings a wealth of experience to a young team.

"The boys are stoked to have Jules back this year. He's an amazing player who's achieved nearly everything there is to achieve in the game. You've got boys coming out of high school and club rugby who are playing Mitre 10 Cup for the first time – so to have someone of this calibre floating around presents an awesome opportunity to learn."

The 30-year-old could be playing in a new position for Wellington though, with Savea revealing that he now feels more at home in the midfield after playing there in France.

"I'm liking the midfield. I would love to play in the midfield," Savea said on James Marshall's podcast.

"Since being back, training hard and being back in the environment with the Canes, it sort of sparked a fuse," he said.

"I just really want to get back into things and I think I'm leaning towards wanting to get back to the best. If I'm at my best then I definitely have a chance of being in that All Blacks jersey again."