Hurricanes Poua leave their mark on Super Rugby Aupiki 2026

Few teams gave New Zealand's professional women's competition more to smile about in 2026 than the Hurricanes Poua, who turned a season of near-misses into one of the most watchable stories in Sky Super Rugby Aupiki.

The Poua finished the six-round campaign with four wins from six, level on victories with both Matatū and the Blues. As allblacks.com reported, all three sides ended the round robin on four wins, and the Wellington-based franchise missed the grand final by the finest of margins, edged out on bonus points to finish third while Matatū and the Blues booked the 25 July decider in Christchurch.

That placing does not tell the full story of a team that beat everyone it needed to. The Poua signed off in style with a record 47-33 win over the Chiefs Manawa in Upper Hutt, their highest score in Aupiki history, keeping their finals hopes alive until the very last whistle of the regular season.

The campaign's signature moment came against previously unbeaten Matatū. Trailing 19-0, the Poua stormed back to win 33-31, with Black Ferns playmaker Renee Holmes landing the decisive kick and Angel Mulu crashing over in the 82nd minute, as allblacks.com described. "Today we played until the 82nd," Holmes told Sky Sport afterwards, capturing a side that simply would not stop.

They also had the measure of the defending champions, running in a 45-30 win over the Blues during the season and pushing them all the way again late in the piece, a challenge RugbyPass noted the Aucklanders had to work hard to hold off.

Much of the belief was built by new head coach Hayden Triggs, the former Hurricanes, Highlanders, Chiefs and Blues lock appointed to lead the Poua for 2026 after a season as an assistant, as Stuff reported.

On the field the Poua carried a strong Black Ferns spine. Holmes became the first player to reach 200 career points in the competition, while halfback Iritana Hohaia and winger Ayesha Leti-I'iga brought big-game class and Wikitoria Viljoen was among the season's most prolific try scorers. Captain Te Rauoriwa Gapper led a group that clearly loved playing for one another.

There is no silverware to show for it this year, but the Poua proved they belong at the top table of the women's game. On this evidence, the lower North Island has plenty to look forward to in 2027.