The Blues have ended a 21-year wait for a Super Rugby title, delivering a commanding 41-10 victory over the Chiefs in a sold-out Eden Park final.
In the first-ever final between the two New Zealand sides in their 28-year history, the Blues showcased their dominance from start to finish.
Heavy rain in Auckland made expansive rugby unlikely, which played to the hosts’ strengths. Winger Caleb Clarke scored a hat-trick, but it was the Blues’ forward pack that laid the groundwork for victory, maintaining control over territory and possession while exerting relentless pressure on the Chiefs.
Blues skipper Patrick Tuipulotu defied expectations by playing a key role just four weeks ahead of his scheduled return from a knee injury. His exceptional performance included a significant line-break and earned him a standing ovation as he left the field.
The Chiefs fought valiantly but were overpowered on a difficult night. Overcoming the Blues at Eden Park was always going to be a tough task—the Aucklanders haven’t lost there since March 2023.
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Simon Parker scored the Chiefs’ lone try with 15 minutes remaining, but the damage had already been done. The Blues had opened the scoring through Akira Ioane, who powered over from close range.
Akira and his brother Rieko Ioane combined to set up Clarke’s first try, keeping the ball in play with impressive skill before passing it to Clarke for a score in the corner.
The Chiefs’ situation worsened ten minutes into the second half when George Dyer was sent to the sin bin for a ruck infringement. This penalty further tilted the game in the Blues’ favor.
After Parker’s consolation try, AJ Lam crossed the line for the Blues’ fifth try, sealing the victory.
As the Blues celebrated their first title since 2003 and equaled the most one-sided grand final win by a New Zealand team, a rare smile appeared on coach Vern Cotter’s usually stoic face.
Blues 41 (Tries: Clarke 3, Lam, A. Ioane; Cons: Plummer 5; Pens: Plummer 2) def Chiefs 10 (Tries: Parker; Cons: McKenzie; Pens: McKenzie)
Teams:
Blues: 15 Stephen Perofeta, 14 Mark Tele’a, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 AJ Lam, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Harry Plummer, 9 Finlay Christie, 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Dalton Papali’i, 6 Akira Ioane, 5 Sam Darry, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu (captain), 3 Marcel Renata, 2 Ricky Riccitelli, 1 Ofa Tu’ungafasi.
Replacements: 16 Kurt Eklund, 17 Joshua Fusitu’a, 18 Angus Ta’avao, 19 Josh Beehre, 20 Adrian Choat, 21 Taufa Funaki, 22 Bryce Heem, 23 Cole Forbes.
Chiefs: 15 Shaun Stevenson, 14 Emoni Narawa, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 Rameka Poihipi, 11 Etene Nanai-Seturo, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Wallace Sititi, 7 Luke Jacobson (captain), 6 Samipeni Finau, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Jimmy Tupou, 3 George Dyer, 2 Tyrone Thompson, 1 Aidan Ross.
Replacements: 16 Bradley Slater, 17 Jared Proffit, 18 Reuben O’Neill, 19 Manaaki Selby-Rickit, 20 Simon Parker, 21 Xavier Roe, 22 Quinn Tupaea, 23 Daniel Rona.
Referee: Nic Berry
Assistant referees: Damon Murphy and Jordan Way
TMO: Brett Cronan
