Former All Blacks winger Julian Savea scored his 61st Super Rugby try during Moana Pasifika's 23-29 defeat by the Melbourne Rebels in Hamilton on Friday to become the leading try-scorer in the competition's history.

The 33-year-old had shared the record on 60 with former New South Wales Waratahs fullback Israel Folau since scoring two tries for the Wellington Hurricanes against the Fijian Drua last May.