Hurricanes crowned Super Rugby Pacific champions after unforgettable night in Wellington

The wait is over. After ten long years, the Hurricanes are champions of Super Rugby Pacific again, and they did it in style, beating the Chiefs 60-5 in the final in front of a sold-out home crowd in windy Wellington on 20 June.

RNZ reported that the 55-point margin was the biggest winning margin in any Super Rugby final, ahead of the Bulls'' 61-17 win over the Chiefs way back in 2009. It was the Hurricanes'' second title, and their first since 2016.

It capped a remarkable season for the men in yellow and black. As NZ Herald''s Liam Napier noted, the Hurricanes scored 113 tries across their 17 games this season, more than any other team. On the big night, first five-eighth Ruben Love led the way with two tries, six conversions and a penalty for a personal haul of 25 points.

There was history on the wings too. Fehi Fineanganofo''s try was his 17th of the season, a new single-season record, and Josh Moorby''s double took him to 17 as well, meaning the two team-mates now share the all-time mark, the competition''s official match report confirmed. That same report noted the Hurricanes'' 29-0 lead at the break was the biggest half-time lead in a final. Callum Harkin, Devan Flanders, Jordie Barrett and Jone Rova also crossed for tries, RugbyPass''s Henry Lee reported, with the home side handling the swirling wind superbly all night.

And a big shout-out to the Chiefs, who deserve plenty of credit for another outstanding season. They finished second on the table with 11 wins and reached their fourth straight final, consistency any club in the country would be proud of. Captain Luke Jacobson passed a late fitness test to lead his side out, Talking Rugby Union''s Matthew Wood reported, and lock Naitoa Ah Kuoi scored a well-earned try that gave the travelling fans something to cheer. Their day will come.

For all the young players watching around the country, the lesson from this final was simple: the Hurricanes backed each other, worked hard for the full 80 minutes, and had fun doing it. Whether you were at the stadium, watching at home or kicking a ball around at halftime, it was a night Wellington, and grassroots rugby fans everywhere, won''t forget in a hurry.