Chiefs Demolished in Another Final Loss

Edward Briggs

The 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season ended with a performance that will be remembered as one of the greatest in the competition’s history, as the Hurricanes dismantled the Chiefs in a record-breaking Grand Final to claim their second Super Rugby title and first since 2016.

Hurricanes 60 – Chiefs 5

The Hurricanes produced a masterclass in Wellington, overwhelming the Chiefs from the opening minutes and delivering the biggest winning margin ever seen in a Super Rugby Grand Final.

Having already secured the minor premiership and dominated much of the regular season, the Hurricanes saved their finest display for the biggest stage. In front of a jubilant home crowd, they ran in nine tries and never allowed the Chiefs a foothold in the contest.

The opening signs were ominous. Josh Moorby crossed in the sixth minute to equal the all-time record for tries in a single Super Rugby season, before Ruben Love showcased his brilliance moments later, gathering a loose ball and stepping through the defence for the Hurricanes’ second.

The Chiefs struggled desperately with the difficult Wellington conditions, twice putting restarts dead and repeatedly surrendering territory. The Hurricanes punished every mistake.

Fehi Fineanganofo etched his name into Super Rugby history when he crossed for his 17th try of the campaign, breaking the long-standing single-season record. Backing up a break from Callum Harkin, the winger launched himself over the line as the crowd erupted.

While the Chiefs briefly threatened to respond, including a promising attack that was held up over the line, the Hurricanes continued to tighten their grip. Harkin added a fourth try before a long-range Love penalty pushed the halftime score to 29-0 — the largest halftime lead ever recorded in a Super Rugby Final.

Any hopes of a second-half revival disappeared almost immediately.

Moorby joined Fineanganofo atop the all-time single-season try-scoring list with his second try of the night, while Devan Flanders marked his return from concussion with a powerful score off a perfectly timed line from close range.

Jordie Barrett then crossed to cap another commanding display from the veteran midfielder as the celebrations began long before the final whistle.

The moment of the night belonged to Love. After Peter Lakai burst into space, the flyhalf appeared trapped near the sideline before somehow launching himself into a somersault over the defender and grounding the ball in spectacular fashion. The extraordinary finish brought up 50 points and perfectly summed up the Hurricanes’ evening.

The Chiefs avoided the unwanted distinction of becoming the first scoreless team in Grand Final history when Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi crossed late, but it did little to diminish the scale of the Hurricanes’ achievement.

Jone Rova had the final say, touching down in the closing moments to complete a 60-5 demolition and put an exclamation mark on one of the most dominant championship performances rugby has ever seen.

The victory capped a remarkable campaign for the Hurricanes. They finished atop the ladder, possessed the competition’s most devastating attack, became the first team to score 100 tries in a Super Rugby season, and closed the year with a record-breaking Grand Final triumph.

For the Chiefs, the defeat was a bitter end after a superb season that included a crushing semi-final victory over the Crusaders. But on the biggest night of all, they ran into a Hurricanes side operating at a level rarely seen in Super Rugby history.

The final statistics reflected the scale of the achievement. The 55-point margin surpassed the previous record Grand Final victory, while Fineanganofo and Moorby finished the season as joint holders of the competition’s single-season try-scoring record with 17 apiece.

After ten years of waiting, the Hurricanes are champions once again. And they did it in a manner that ensured the 2026 Grand Final will be talked about for generations.