The Hurricanes have claimed their second Super Rugby title in emphatic fashion, crushing the Chiefs 60-5 in the final in Wellington.
The 55-point triumph, achieved in front of a sold-out crowd, is the largest winning margin in Super Rugby final history, surpassing the Bulls’ 61-17 victory over the Chiefs in the 2009 decider in Pretoria. The defeat also marked the Chiefs’ fourth consecutive loss in a Super Rugby final.
After a scrappy opening period influenced by Wellington’s strong winds, the Hurricanes struck first through winger Josh Moorby, who dived over in the right corner for his 16th try of the season.
The home side quickly extended their lead when first five-eighth Ruben Love capitalised on a deflected grubber kick before beating the last defender to score under the posts, making it 12-0 after 15 minutes.
The Hurricanes continued to stretch the Chiefs’ defence, and a slick move down the left flank ended with Fehi Fineanganofo crossing untouched for his 17th try of the season. The score saw him break the Super Rugby single-season try-scoring record, previously shared with Moorby, former Brumbies star Joe Roff and former Hurricanes winger Ben Lam.
The Hurricanes added further first-half tries through fullback Callum Harkin and a penalty goal to take a commanding 26-0 lead into the break.
The second half began much like the first ended, with Moorby scoring his 17th try of the campaign to draw level with Fineanganofo as the competition’s most prolific try-scorer in a single season. The try pushed the Hurricanes’ advantage to 36-0.
With the crowd in full voice, Love grabbed his second try of the night with an acrobatic finish in the right corner, extending the lead to 53-0 and effectively ending any hopes of a Chiefs comeback.
The visitors finally got on the scoreboard through lock Naitoa Ah Kuoi, but with only minutes remaining, the try did little to dent the Hurricanes’ dominance.
The Wellington side capped off a memorable night with one final try to complete a resounding 60-5 victory and secure their first Super Rugby title since 2016.
