Hurricanes Rugby: The 2026 Super Rugby Pacific Champions

The Hurricanes are a professional rugby union franchise based in Wellington that represents the lower North Island of New Zealand in Super Rugby. Founded in 1996, the team is best known for its fast, attacking style and for a dramatic recent peak: in 2026 the Hurricanes won the Super Rugby Pacific title with a record 60-5 victory over the Chiefs, their second championship and their first since 2016. This guide explains who the Hurricanes are, where they play, what they have won and who leads the team today.

Who are the Hurricanes?

The Hurricanes are one of five New Zealand teams in Super Rugby Pacific, the top professional club competition in the Southern Hemisphere. They were created in 1996 when the competition launched as Super 12, and the side was originally called the Wellington Hurricanes.

Each New Zealand franchise draws its players from a group of provincial unions in its region. The Hurricanes cover the lower half of the North Island, which includes Wellington, Manawatū, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, Wairarapa Bush, Horowhenua-Kāpiti, Poverty Bay, East Coast and Whanganui. That wide catchment is one reason the squad regularly features players with strong provincial roots across the region.

“Rugby union” is the 15-a-side code of rugby, and Super Rugby Pacific is a cross-border league featuring teams from New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific. The Hurricanes play a home-and-away regular season followed by a finals series to decide the champion.

Where the Hurricanes play

The Hurricanes play their home matches at Hnry Stadium on Wellington’s waterfront. The venue has a capacity of around 34,500 and is one of New Zealand’s main rugby grounds.

The stadium has changed names several times. It opened in 2000 as WestpacTrust Stadium (later Westpac Stadium), became Sky Stadium in 2020, and was renamed Hnry Stadium from 1 March 2026 under a new naming-rights partnership with the Wellington-founded accountancy service Hnry. Fans and older match reports may still refer to it as Sky Stadium or “the Cake Tin”, its long-standing local nickname.

Over the years the Hurricanes have also taken occasional home games on the road to regional centres such as Palmerston North and Napier to connect with supporters across their catchment.

Team colours, crest and mascot

The Hurricanes play in yellow (gold) and black. Yellow is the dominant jersey colour, a bright identity that stands out against the mostly darker kits worn by rival New Zealand sides, while black reflects the traditional provincial colours of Wellington rugby. The crest features a stylised spiral evoking a hurricane or storm system.

The team’s mascot is Captain Hurricane, a costumed character who leads the side onto the field and entertains the crowd on match day. Earlier descriptions that named the mascot “Stormy” are incorrect.

The 2026 Super Rugby Pacific title

The defining moment in the club’s recent history came on 20 June 2026, when the Hurricanes beat the Chiefs 60-5 in the grand final at Hnry Stadium in front of a sell-out crowd. It was the most one-sided final in the competition’s history.

The 55-point winning margin set a record for a Super Rugby final, surpassing the Bulls’ 61-17 win over the Chiefs in the 2009 decider. Fullback Ruben Love was named player of the final. The result ended a ten-year wait for a second title and capped a season of records for Wellington.

Across the 2026 campaign the Hurricanes:

• Scored a competition-record 685 points in a single season.
• Became the first team to pass 100 tries in a Super Rugby season.
• Had two players — Fehi Fineanganofo and Josh Moorby — each score 17 tries, equalling the single-season try record.

You can see where every New Zealand side finished in the final 2026 Super Rugby table. The Hurricanes’ win also ended a run of recent finals dominated by the Crusaders and Chiefs; the Chiefs lost the 2025 decider to the Crusaders before falling to the Hurricanes a year later.

How the Hurricanes play

The Hurricanes are associated with an expansive, high-tempo game. Rather than grinding out territory, the side has historically looked to move the ball wide, play at pace and attack from deep, backing the speed and footwork of its outside backs. That approach suits Wellington’s often blustery conditions less obviously than a kicking game would, which makes the team’s attacking success all the more notable.

The 2026 season was the clearest expression of that identity. Posting a record 685 points and more than 100 tries is only possible for a team committed to scoring from anywhere on the field. Players such as Ruben Love at the back and the wings Fehi Fineanganofo and Josh Moorby gave the Hurricanes a finishing edge, while the forward pack and halfback Cam Roigard provided the quick, front-foot ball that lets a running game function. For a wider view of how modern New Zealand teams build and defend, see our guides to the game across the site.

Honours and history (1996–2026)

For much of their history the Hurricanes were known as perennial contenders who struggled to convert talent into trophies. The early seasons were a struggle, but by the late 1990s and 2000s the team had become a regular playoff presence, producing some of New Zealand’s most celebrated attacking players. They reached the final in 2006, losing to the Crusaders in Christchurch, and again in 2015, losing a home decider to the Highlanders, before finally breaking through.

The franchise has long been a production line for international talent. Legends such as Christian Cullen, Tana Umaga, Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Julian Savea, TJ Perenara, Dane Coles and the Barrett brothers all wore the jersey, and many went on to long All Blacks careers. That pipeline from Wellington and the surrounding provinces remains one of the team’s defining features.

Their first title came on 6 August 2016, when they beat the Lions 20-3 in a wet, windy final in Wellington, with tries from Cory Jane and Beauden Barrett. The 2026 championship made them two-time champions.

Notable players in the 2026 squad

The 2026 championship squad was built around a core of internationally capped players. Among the best known are:

• Jordie Barrett — All Blacks midfielder and co-captain, and the younger brother of Beauden Barrett.
• Du’Plessis Kirifi — openside flanker and co-captain.
• Ruben Love — attacking fullback/first five-eighth named player of the 2026 final.
• Cam Roigard — All Blacks halfback.
• Tyrel Lomax — All Blacks tighthead prop.
• Billy Proctor — centre and member of the leadership group.
• Brad Shields — experienced loose forward and former captain.
• Asafo Aumua — hooker and leadership-group member.
• Fehi Fineanganofo and Josh Moorby — record-equalling try scorers in 2026.

The names most readers remember from earlier seasons — TJ Perenara, Julian Savea, Ardie Savea, Dane Coles and Ben Lam — have all moved on or retired, and squads change each year, so always check the official team list for the current roster. Several Hurricanes are regular selections for the All Blacks, New Zealand’s national team.

Coaches and leadership

The Hurricanes head coach in 2026 is Clark Laidlaw, a Scottish-born coach who previously led the New Zealand sevens programme. He replaced John Plumtree, who had coached the side from 2020.

For the 2026 season the team was led by co-captains Jordie Barrett and Du’Plessis Kirifi, supported by a wider leadership group that also included Brad Shields, Asafo Aumua and Billy Proctor. Barrett had returned to Wellington after a short overseas stint, and the co-captaincy was his first formal leadership role at the club.

Rivalries

The Hurricanes’ most-played opponent is the Crusaders of Christchurch, the most successful team in Super Rugby history, and the two have met in high-stakes finals and playoffs, including the 2006 final. Matches against fellow North Island sides the Chiefs and the Blues also carry strong regional edge, and the 2026 final against the Chiefs added another chapter to that rivalry. For context on how the New Zealand franchises stack up, our guide to Super Rugby 2025 covers the season immediately before the Hurricanes’ title.

How the franchise is owned and run

From 1996 to 2012 all five New Zealand franchises were owned outright by New Zealand Rugby and run by boards drawn from the regional provincial unions. The Hurricanes were the first to move to a part-private model, with the Wellington Rugby Football Union taking a half-share and private investors holding the rest.

That structure changed again at the end of 2025. In December 2025 the Wellington Rugby Football Union sold its 50% stake to NZ Sport Investment Limited, a venture backed by private investors, with New Zealand Rugby becoming a minority investor and existing shareholders such as Y11 Sports Group and the Horowhenua-Kāpiti Rugby Union retaining their holdings. The Hurricanes therefore began their 2026 title-winning season under a new, largely privately held ownership structure.

How to follow the Hurricanes

Hurricanes matches are broadcast in New Zealand on Sky Sport and the Sky Sport Now streaming service, with Super Rugby Pacific also shown on broadcast partners in Australia and the Pacific. Tickets for home games at Hnry Stadium are sold through the venue’s official ticketing partners, and the club publishes squad news, fixtures and results on its official website and social channels.

Because the Hurricanes play in a cross-border competition, kick-off times for away games in Australia or the Pacific can fall outside standard New Zealand evening slots, so it is worth checking the published schedule before each round.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When were the Hurricanes founded and who do they represent?

The Hurricanes were founded in 1996 for the launch of Super 12. They represent the lower North Island of New Zealand, drawing players from Wellington and surrounding provincial unions such as Manawatū, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki and Horowhenua-Kāpiti.

Have the Hurricanes won Super Rugby?

Yes. The Hurricanes have won the title twice: in 2016, when they beat the Lions 20-3, and in 2026, when they beat the Chiefs 60-5 in a record-breaking final at home in Wellington.

Where do the Hurricanes play their home games?

They play at Hnry Stadium on Wellington’s waterfront, a venue of about 34,500 capacity that was previously known as Sky Stadium and, before that, Westpac Stadium.

Who coaches and captains the Hurricanes?

Clark Laidlaw is the head coach in 2026. The side was led that season by co-captains Jordie Barrett and Du’Plessis Kirifi, part of a wider leadership group.

Who are the Hurricanes’ biggest rivals?

The Crusaders are the Hurricanes’ most-played and most storied opponent, while North Island derbies against the Chiefs and the Blues are also fiercely contested.