Super Rugby Pacific: Hurricanes demolish Brumbies 66-12 in first qualifying final in Wellington

Friday, 5 June 2026

Cam Roigard slides over for another try for the Hurricanes in the Wellington rain.

At Hnry Stadium, Wellington: Hurricanes 66 (Caleb Delany 7min, Cam Roigard 10min, 39min, Billy Proctor 28min, Warner Dearns 32min, 48min, Ngane Punivai 60min, 71min, 77min tries; Ruben Love 9 con, pen) Brumbies 12 (Corey Toole 35min, Tane Edmed 52min tries; Ryan Lonergan con). HT: 38-7.

The Hurricanes exacted playoffs payback against the Brumbies, running riot to win 66-12 in tough conditions in Wellington on Friday night.

The Hurricanes have lost three of their four most recent playoff games against the Brumbies - all in Canberra - but there was no chance of history repeating in Wellington.

Led around the park by playmaking stars Cam Roigard and Ruben Love, the Hurricanes scored five first-half tries - all converted by Love - to decide the contest in the first 40 minutes.

“Us and the Brumbies have a lot of history and we’ve been on the other side of it, so it was personal for us this week,” Roigard told Sky TV.

The Hurricanes return to Hnry Stadium on Saturday week to host a semifinal against the highest-ranked loser from the next two qualifying finals.

Replacement winger Ngane Punivai helped himself to a second-half hat-trick, rubbing salt in the Brumbies’ wounds as the hosts scored nine tries in all.

But the damage was already done on an evening when veteran Hurricanes flanker Brad Shields put in a big shift that included a beautiful left-footed clearance inside the last 10 minutes.

The Hurricanes were unstoppable for long periods of the game, although the Brumbies' defence was woeful at times.

The Australians missed 23 tackles in the first half alone as Roigard grabbed two tries with some ease.

The wind and rain played havoc with both sides' kicking games, but the Hurricanes' handling of the wet ball was on a different level.

In fact, the Hurricanes barely deviated from their attack-first philosophy despite the conditions and their performance will send a message to the Chiefs, Crusaders and Blues.

Love wasn't perfect in that first half, but he showed he can quickly move past mistakes and simply kept attacking the Brumbies' line with ball in hand. He also had a 10 out of 10 night off the kicking tee.

The Brumbies had no legal answer to Love's attacking mindset - he copped a high shot before Roigard's second try - as he took another significant step towards the All Blacks No 10 jersey.

Ngane Punivai dashes away for one of his three tries in Wellington.

In-form winger Josh Moorby also played his part, weaving past multiple defenders with his mazy running style, while Billy Proctor was again the glue in midfield.

Locks Caleb Delany and Warner Dearns also showed a nice mixture of steel and soft hands.

Dearns waltzed over untouched in the 32nd minute, highlighting the Brumbies' flimsy defence. They copped a spray from coach Stephen Larkham at halftime - a rarity for the normally cool former Wallabies No 10.

Perhaps the warning signs for the Brumbies were evident in their 21-19 loss to Moana Pasifika in Canberra last weekend, but Larkham would have expected a response in Wellington with their season on the line.

By contrast, the Hurricanes had the luxury of replacing Asafo Aumua after just 43 minutes with next week in mind, while Du'Plessis Kirifi, Pasilio Tosi and Xavier Numia followed Aumua to the bench shortly afterwards.

The second half was a closer affair as the Hurricanes lost some attacking rhythm, but the home side's defence continued to be rewarded for putting the Brumbies' skills under pressure.

Punivai swooped on a loose Brumbies pass - one of many - to bring up the Hurricanes' half-century after 60 minutes, and Ereatara Enari almost did likewise about five minutes later.

Punivai added two more tries in the last 10 minutes to complete the Brumbies’ humiliation, and it will now take a very good team to deny the Hurricanes their first Super Rugby title since 2016.