The climax of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season is upon us, with Saturday's Grand Final between the Hurricanes and Chiefs having all the makings of an all-time classic.
The buildup is ramping up ahead of kick-off, too, after Super Rugby officials unveiled their Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards on Wednesday night.
Quinn Tupaea was crowned Player of the Year on a countback after an outstanding season for the Chiefs, while Waratahs rookie Sid Harvey took out the inaugural gong as the competition's premier first-year player.
A Team of the Year was also named alongside those awards. But in all honesty, it didn't quite hit the mark.
That was largely because of how it was selected, where the top performers in the Player of the Year voting across each position were then chosen.
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Fullback: SRP - Jock Campbell | ESPN - Jock Campbell
No arguments here, as Campbell had a stellar season which should propel him back into Joe Schmidt's Wallabies squad when it is announced on Friday. Campbell was brilliant at the back for the Reds all year, finishing with more line breaks [17] than any of his fellow custodians and the most metres run [1025] of any player in the competition full-stop.
Right wing: SRP - Caleb Tangitau | ESPN - Josh Moorby
Caleb Tangitau was having an outstanding season until he ruptured his Achilles tendon in mid-May, the injury cruelly coming after the final siren. Tangitau was surely set for a maiden All Blacks callup but not even he could inspire enough good play in the rest of his Highlander counterparts for them to seriously trouble the finals. They were also twice hammered by the Hurricanes.
Moorby, meanwhile, was the beneficiary of the Hurricanes' inside backs, who created the space and breaks for him to finish out wide. An All Blacks smoky, Moorby has 15 tries for the season and could yet pip teammate Fehi Fineanagofo for the all-time season record with a double on Saturday, while he is equal-third for line breaks [18] and third for defenders beaten [48].
Midfield: SRP - Quinn Tupaea, Timoci Tavatavanawai | ESPN - Quinn Tupaea, Billy Proctor
The SRP Team of the Year grouped its two centres together, rather than individual positions at No. 12 and 13. And there is little doubt that Quinn Tupaea deserves both his place here and the Player of the Year award. He was outstanding for the Chiefs in nearly every game he played.
But as good as Timoci Tavatavanawai was for the Highlanders over the ball, you have to reward the team's overall performance too, right? And Billy Proctor was brilliant for the Hurricanes. Proctor was a constant attacking threat either as the hole-runner himself or as a creator for those outside him, and he formed a competition-best midfield partnership alongside Jordie Barrett, who is stiff to miss selection here. But Tupaea was that good at 12.
Left wing: SRP - Max Jorgensen | ESPN - Fehi Fineanganofo
The Waratahs sensation started the season with a bang with a series of scintillating finishes, but as NSW's campaign tailed off so did Jorgensen. He also moved to fullback, where he showed glimpses of his amazing footwork, but wasn't helped by those around him.
Can you really leave out the year's leading try-scorer, who stands on the cusp of the all-time Super Rugby season record? The answer, simply, is "no". Fineanganofo has rocketed into All Blacks contention despite his looming departure overseas, his devastating finishes of some incredible Hurricanes tries not soon to be forgotten. With speed, power and footwork, Fineanganofo has all the tools the modern winger needs, and may etch his name into Super Rugby folklore on Saturday night.
Fly-half: SRP - Ben Donaldson | ESPN - Ruben Love
Don't get us wrong, Ben Donaldson had a fine season for the Western Force and should be rewarded with a Wallabies recall on Friday. He was the most consistent of the Aussie 10s before injury saw him miss a few games late in the season.
But better than the Canes' Ruben Love? No, we just can't cop it. New Zealand rugby fans got a glimpse of their long-term All Blacks 10 this year as Love carved up backpedalling opposition defences. While his goal-kicking numbers put him middle of the pack, his flawless display against the Brumbies in atrocious conditions was quite remarkable. He has the control, the pass, kick and run game -- and now just needs the 2026 title to underline his All Blacks claims.
Scrum-half: SRP - Ryan Lonergan | ESPN - Cam Roigard
Brumbies No. 9 Ryan Lonergan had a stellar year, no doubt about it. He was consistently among his side's top three players, if not its best, most weeks, and also had the goal-kicking and captaincy to worry about. His service was near exemplary and his laser-accurate passes near the tryline were responsible for multiple ACT five-pointers.
But Roigard pips him for his unrivalled running game, which has him as arguably the premier No. 9 in world rugby full-stop. Roigard exposes breakdown defenders weekly and his left boot not only helps the Canes clear their line, but is also an attacking weapon, too. Roigard added nine five-pointers despite missing a few games late in the season, and will be one of the first names on Dave Rennie's teamsheet.
No. 8: SRP - Anton Segner | ESPN - Christian Lio-Willie
This is among the hardest calls to make, and Anton Segner is in no way a poor choice. He was superb for the Blues, particularly towards the end of the season when Vern Cotter's side trailed off badly, and may well be rewarded with All Blacks selection as a result.
Harry Wilson was one of the Reds' best; Luke Jacobson is capable in all three back-row positions; Peter Lakai is an excellent link man, and Charlie Cale was having a cracking season before injury struck. For us, though, it's hard to go past the Crusaders' Christian Lio-Willie who was a force on both sides of the ball. At the end of the regular season, Lio-Willie had 151 carries for 883 metres, as opposed to Segner's 83 carries for 573 metres. He also made 168 tackles, 24 more than his Blues counterpart, and shaded him for offloads, too.
No. 7: SRP - Fraser McReight | ESPN - Du'Plessis Kirifi
You're splitting hairs again here, as Fraser McReight was very good for the Reds, particularly towards the end of the season and in Queensland's qualifying final loss to the Chiefs. He was a constant breakdown threat and always there in support in attack.
Kirifi plays a bit tighter, however, and his work over the ball at the breakdown this season was magnificent. He also conceded four fewer penalties [7] than McReight, which is a remarkable effort given how often he challenges at the collision.
No. 6: SRP - Leicester Fainga'anuku | ESPN - Rob Valetini
This is not a perfect comparison, as the SRP team was chosen as a back-row unit and Fainga'anuku played all of rugby at No. 7 following his midseason switch from the midfield. And don't get us wrong, he was outstanding in the second half of the Crusaders' campaign in that position.
But as a true No. 6, who competed nearly every week in the position, the Brumbies' Rob Valetini gets our nod. There wasn't the flashes of Valetini brilliance we have seen in previous years -- the kicking or long-range charges -- the Wallabies star was just a straight-up workhorse for the ACT. He topped the regular season for carries with 212, 57 more than the next best [Fainga'anuku].
Locks: SRP - Jeremy Williams, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto | ESPN - Warner Dearns, Tupou Vaa'i
Australians Jeremy Williams and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto were superb, for the Force and Reds respectively, and should be the Wallabies' second-row pairing for the first Test against Ireland next month. Williams was the competition's premier lineout jumper, while Salakaia-Loto has rediscovered his best with ball in hand. He ran with a purpose few other Australian forwards can match.
But the Hurricanes' Warner Dearns was, behind Tupaea, arguably the next best player in the competition. From his lineout jumping to his ball-carry and kick pressure, Dearns has been an asset in Wellington and would be wearing black had it not been for his time in Japan, where he is now Brave Blossoms captain.
The Chiefs' Tupou Vaa'I was nearly just as effective. The All Blacks lock was also a threat at the breakdown, winning several key steals or forced penalties throughout the regular season.
Tighthead prop: SRP - Ethan de Groot | ESPN - Fletcher Newell
Again, this is a perfect comparison as the official SRP team had two loosehead props in their front-row. Ethan De Groot [a loosehead] certainly had claims to that position, but for a true tighthead it's hard to go past Fletcher Newell.
The Crusaders front-rower was again the focal point of a mighty Crusaders scrum, one that was without his All Blacks teammate Tamaiti Williams for all but two games this season. Newell was also busy on both sides of the ball and will be a walk-up starter for Rennie's All Blacks squad come Monday.
Hooker: SRP - Samisoni Taukei'aho | ESPN - Samisoni Taukei'aho
The selection of Chiefs hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho feels about right, but it is incredibly close between he and his Hurricanes opponent in Saturday's decider, Asafo Aumua. Both players have had tremendous seasons and what a luxury the All Blacks have next month, with these two alongside veteran Codie Taylor.
What tips the scale slightly in Taukei'aho's favour is the Chiefs' lineout, with Jono Gibbes' side rated No. 1 at the crucial set piece across the regular season with a 91.4% success rate. That stat suggests a hooker who was in tune with his jumpers and hitting his targets thereafter.
Loosehead prop: SRP - Xavier Numia | ESPN - Xavier Numia
Rounding out our team of the year as the seventh and final Hurricane is Xavier Numia, who also made the official SRP squad. Numia has enjoyed a stellar season both at set-piece time and in general play, his power and mobility a huge asset for a Hurricanes team that has rolled over teams up front, and then let their bevvy of backline stars rip opposition defences to shreds out wide.