Hurricanes seal 1st place with a round to go in Super Rugby; Moana farewell home fans

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The Wellington-based Hurricanes have secured top seeding for the Super Rugby playoffs with one round remaining in the regular season.

After Saturday’s 45-28 win over the Dunedin-based Highlanders, the Hurricanes hold a nine-point lead over the Chiefs and cannot be displaced from the top of the table in next weekend’s final round. First place carries with it the valuable prize of a second chance in the playoffs, the chance to return if beaten in the first round.

The Hurricanes have an 11-2 record and lead the tournament with 84 tries, 18 more than the next best team. The rest of the top six teams that will contest the playoffs probably have been decided, though the finishing order may still change.

The Queensland Reds are in sixth place, five points clear of the New South Wales Waratahs in seventh and with an identical points differential. The Reds host the Fijian Drua and the Waratahs face the Western Force next weekend.

The Auckland-based Blues in third place and ACT Brumbies in fifth place also are separated by only five points and those positions may be shuffled after next week’s matches. At this point, the Hurricanes, Chiefs and Blues look likely to host matches in the first round of the quarterfinals.

The Hurricanes end the regular season against the Christchurch-based Crusaders, currently in fourth place. The teams met in round 12 when the Hurricanes won 38-31.

Head coach Clark Laidlaw said he was “delighted” with the Hurricanes’ first place finish.

“All the teams are chasing that top spot,” he said. “We know what it gives us around the second chance if you need it but more importantly, if you win, then you play at home.

“The consistency the men have shown, particularly through this block of games, it’s really pleasing. We might have a quiet beer tonight to settle that and then get back on the horse in six days’ time.”

Moana Mourning

At the other end of the table, Moana Pasifika narrowly lost its final home game in Super Rugby to the Queensland Reds.

The team which brings together players from Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands will disband at the end of the regular season for financial reasons.

A large home crowd saw Moana Pasifika rally from 26-7 down to lead 31-28 before going down 33-31. The team’s short tenure in Super Rugby will end when they play the Brumbies in Canberra next weekend.

Moana Pasifika’s swift demise follows the dissolution of the Melbourne Rebels after the 2024 season, also for financial reasons, and will reduce the Southern Hemisphere tournament to 10 teams.

Head coach Tana Umaga said it was sad for the players and fans that Moana Pasifika’s story was ending in this way.

“There’s nothing else like this anywhere,” Umaga said. “We celebrate who we are from the minute you walk in to the minute you leave. I was very proud of our guys. With everything going on, they had the excuse not to come out and perform, but they did.”

Umaga remains hopeful a benefactor might step forward to save the Auckland-based team.

“We stay hopeful,” he said. “We really want this group to continue.

“What I love most about this team is the culture. There’s no other team in the comp like this team. Samoan and Tongan boys mixing together, learning each other’s values and upbringings. That’s what’s special about this group — the connection, the values, the people who came before us and giving back to them.”

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