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last mo.

Hurricanes Seal Top Seed as Super Rugby Playoffs Take Shape

Securing first place guarantees the Hurricanes the playoffs' extra second-chance benefit if they lose a qualifying final.

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BILBAO, SPAIN - MAY 23: Maxime Lucu of Union Bordeaux Begles lifts the Investec Champions Cup Trophy as the team celebrates following victory during the Investec Champions Cup Final match between Leinster Rugby and Union Bordeaux Begles at San Mames Stadium on May 23, 2026 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Champions: Bordeaux Begles celebrate their triumph in Bilbao PICTURE: Getty Images

Overview

  • The regular-season penultimate round effectively set the top six playoff teams with the Hurricanes, Chiefs, Blues, Crusaders, Brumbies and Queensland Reds all now assured of finals places.
  • The Hurricanes secured the No.1 seed with a 45-28 home win over the Highlanders on Saturday, giving them a nine-point lead and home advantage going into the finals.
  • The Crusaders beat the Chiefs 36-32 in Christchurch after David Havili produced a 50-22 and a 76th-minute try that proved decisive in a late comeback.
  • The Brumbies clinched a playoff spot with a 21-14 win over the Waratahs in Sydney, a match in which prop Allan Alaalatoa marked his 150th appearance by scoring a try.
  • Moana Pasifika will disband after the regular season for financial reasons, a development that ends the club's brief run in Super Rugby and raises wider questions about the finances of smaller-market teams.