The Blues have made Super Rugby Aupiki history, holding off Matatū 28-21 at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday to claim a third consecutive women's title in front of more than 10,000 fans.
The decider swung on the final play. With the scores locked at 21-21 and the match drifting toward extra time, Blues first five-eighth Ruahei Demant found space and sent winger Katelynn Vahaakolo through a gap. Vahaakolo powered past the first defender and crossed in the corner deep into added time, and Demant's conversion made it 28-21 as the hooter sounded.
Vahaakolo, who scored twice, was overcome when told no side had previously won three Aupiki finals in a row. "We have a quote that says 'just us for us' and I feel we reflected that tonight," she said.
Blues hooker Atlanta Lolohea also scored twice, her second try, converted by Demant, turning a 14-14 arm-wrestle the champions' way early in the second half. Matatū, chasing a first title since 2023, had answered through Georgia Ponsonby, Sarah Jones and Alena Saili, with Maia Joseph landing three conversions.
Blues captain Maiakawanakaulani Roos admitted the players did not immediately realise they had won. "It took a minute to process," she told Sky Sport. "We played for each other... and our connection got us through."
Loose forward Liana Mikaele-Tu'u pointed to the group's identity. "We're a faith-driven team," she said after the final whistle.
There was pride, too, in defeat. Matatū skipper Grace Brooker, whose side led for long stretches before conceding the decisive score, singled out the occasion at the redeveloped Christchurch venue. "It makes us feel seen as athletes, it makes us feel that the blood, sweat and tears that we put out there is worth it," she said at the after-match ceremony.
The win extends the Blues' grip on the competition, having also taken the crown in 2024 and 2025, and comes as the tournament shifts to a June-to-August window designed to give players a longer pre-season and a clear mid-year slot.
There is little time to celebrate. The Blues now head across the Tasman for the 2026 Women's Super Rugby Champions match, meeting Super Rugby W winners the NSW Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday 1 August. The cross-Tasman decider pits the best of New Zealand's provincial talent against Australia's, with several players on both sides pushing for international selection under new Black Ferns coach Whitney Hansen.
For now, though, the Aupiki trophy stays in Auckland, and the Blues have a piece of history no other franchise can claim.
