Hurricanes end decade-long Super Rugby title wait putting 60 points on Chiefs as All Blacks star Ruben Love dominates
Ruben Love scoring a try for Hurricanes against Chiefs.
The Hurricanes put in a masterclass of attacking rugby as they demolished the Chiefs in a 60-5 victory to seal the Super Rugby Pacific title at Hnry Stadium.
Scores from Josh Moorby (2), Ruben Love (2), Fehi Fineanganofo, Callum Harkin, Devan Flanders, Jordie Barrett and Jone Rova fired the ‘Canes to a remarkable win.
The nine-try haul from the Hurricanes took their tally for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season up to a staggering 113 as they were crowned champions and deservedly so.
Indeed, the Chiefs were not at the races and found themselves put to the sword on Saturday, with only Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi troubling the scoreboard for them late on.`
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It was one-way traffic for the opening stanza as the Hurricanes weathered the conditions perfectly, which was in stark contrast to how the Chiefs played into the wind.
Indeed, Damian McKenzie was under all kinds of pressure putting boot to ball in a nightmare showing that left him perplexed as error after error mounted up on the 10.
The league leaders ran in four tries in the first period as Moorby got the ball rolling on seven minutes, cutting in off his right wing to finish powerfully for a 7-0 cushion.
It would be 14-0 on 13 minutes when turnover ball from a Sampeni Finau line break led to a scrappy kick through from Cam Roigard being taken by Love for a smart try.
While the ‘Canes were being ruthless in their execution, McKenzie was having a horror show as his restart was overcooked and dotted down in-goal for the second time.
The Hurricanes are not a side to let errors go unpunished, and Fineanganofo was their next scorer, diving over for a record-breaking 17th try in a Super Rugby campaign.
That made it 19-0, and such were the Chiefs’ woes that even when they did cross the line through Ollie Norris, the prop was deemed to have been held up by the referee.
Once again the hosts compounded matters for the Hamilton outfit by scoring their fourth try, this time Harkin showing quick feet to finish near to the posts for 26-0.
Adding the gloss to their first-half showing was a long-range kick from Love on the stroke of half-time, putting the seal on a remarkable first 40 minutes in Wellington.
Incredibly, a change of ends did little to halt the Hurricanes’ momentum as they continued the destruction of a shell-shocked Chiefs side who could not get a foothold.
Once again an error was punished when Love sent a pass out to Moorby who finished expertly on 44 minutes, the former’s superb conversion moving the lead up to 36.
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There was more to come too as five minutes later Flanders galloped over from 20 metres out, which made it 41-0 before Barrett crashed over on 53 minutes for 48-0.
The Chiefs wanted the ground to open up and swallow them at this point, especially with the Hurricanes smelling blood and not letting up in their search for more tries.
An eighth would come on 67 minutes and it was fitting that Love would get a second, such was his performance and the aerial finish matched the fly-half’s dazzling day.
Fortunately for the Chiefs, they would avoid becoming the first team ever to be nilled in a Super Rugby final, this after Ah Kuoi went over with six minutes left on the clock.
But it was the Hurricanes who would have the last say and rightly so, replacement Rova racing over to put the seal on a stunning performance that secured the 2026 title.
The teams
Hurricanes: 15 Callum Harkin, 14 Josh Moorby, 13 Billy Proctor, 12 Jordie Barrett (cc), 11 Fehi Fineanganofo, 10 Ruben Love, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Peter Lakai, 7 Du’Plessis Kirifi (cc), 6 Devan Flanders, 5 Warner Dearns, 4 Isaia Walker-Leawere, 3 Pasilio Tosi, 2 Asafo Aumua, 1 Xavier Numia
Replacements: 16 Jacob Devery, 17 Siale Lauaki, 18 Tyrel Lomax, 19 Brad Shields, 20 Brayden Iose, 21 Ereatara Enari, 22 Jone Rova, 23 Kini Naholo
Chiefs: 15 Liam Coombes-Fabling, 14 Leroy Carter, 13 Kyle Brown, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 11 Kyren Taumoefolau, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Simon Parker, 7 Luke Jacobson (c), 6 Samipeni Finau, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Josh Lord, 3 Sione Ahio, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1 Ollie Norris
Replacements: 16 Brodie McAlister, 17 Jared Proffit, 18 George Dyer, 19 Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20 Kaylum Boshier, 21 Xavier Roe, 22 Josh Jacomb, 23 Reon Paul
Referee: Nic Berry (Aus)
Assistant referees: Reuben Keane (Aus), Louis Trisley (Aus)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Aus)
READ MORE: Hurricanes v Chiefs: Result, scorers, match stats, line-ups