Two-time defending champions the Blues will face round-robin winners Matat\u016b in the Super Rugby Aupiki final at Te Kaha\/One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch.<\/p>\n
A bumper crowd is expected at the newly opened Te Kaha\/One New Zealand Stadium as the Blues chase a third successive title and Matat\u016b look to reclaim the crown they won in 2023.<\/p>\n
Honours even between finalists<\/p>\n
The teams split their two round-robin meetings.<\/p>\n
Matat\u016b claimed a 27-21 victory in Pukekohe on June 27 before the Blues responded with a 38-29 win at Ng\u0101 Puna Wai in Christchurch last Saturday.<\/p>\n
The final pits the competition\u2019s best attack against its strongest defence.<\/p>\n
The Blues scored a competition-high 200 points and 32 tries across their six matches. Matat\u016b conceded only 157 points, three fewer than the Blues, while scoring 198 points and 30 tries.<\/p>\n
Both squads are loaded with international experience. The Blues have 16 current or former Black Ferns in their match-day 23, with 16 players returning from last year\u2019s final.<\/p>\n
Matat\u016b have selected 14 Black Ferns and 10 players who featured in the 2025 decider.<\/p>\n
There will also be some familiar faces in opposition colours. Matat\u016b\u2019s Holly Greenway played for the Blues last season, while Blues player Hollyrae Mete-Renata was previously with Matat\u016b.<\/p>\n
The Super Rugby Aupiki final kicks off at 4.20pm. Maggie Cogger-Orr will referee, with Todd Petrie and Ben Woolerton serving as assistant referees and Liam Scanlon as TMO.<\/p>\n
The Blues<\/p>\n
Defending champions strengthen forward pack
Two personnel changes and a six-two forwards-backs split on the bench headline the Blues selection.<\/p>\n
Loose forward Danny-Elle Fesolai returns to the starting side at openside flanker, replacing Dajian Brown. Former Black Ferns loose forward Tafito Lafaele has been added to the bench in place of rookie halfback Ffion Penney.<\/p>\n
The Blues\u2019 biggest stars were at their best in last Saturday\u2019s must-win encounter against Matat\u016b.<\/p>\n
Braxton Sorensen-McGee scored two tries and kicked four of her six conversion attempts, while substitutes Tafua Bason and Katelyn Vahaakolo stunned the hosts with long-range tries.<\/p>\n
The return of Black Ferns lock Maama Vaipulu from a three-week suspension has added a harder edge to the Blues pack.<\/p>\n
Amarande Sititi has continued to enhance her growing reputation, making 62 carries and 72 tackles across five matches.<\/p>\n
Black Ferns co-captain Ruahei Demant has been tactically influential and kicked all six conversions in the round-five 42-26 victory over Chiefs Manawa. That result snapped a two-game losing streak, the Blues\u2019 first since 2023.<\/p>\n
Blues captain Maia Ross celebrated her 100th first-class appearance in the team\u2019s most recent match.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe reset and go again. We go hard,\u201d Ross said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m proud of this team and their willingness to dig deep for each other. We\u2019ve had our backs to the wall, but the forwards have done their role. It\u2019s amazing when our backs unleash.<\/p>\n
\u201cMatat\u016b are a classy team. They\u2019re difficult to stop when they get a roll on. Our discipline needs to be on point. If we have to go to that dark place, I know we can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Proven performers on the big stage<\/p>\n
The Blues have shown their resilience in each of the past two finals.<\/p>\n
In the 2025 decider at Eden Park, they trailed by 12 points after conceding eight successive penalties. Tries to Demant, Chryss Viliko and Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, along with a stunning 70-metre effort from Sorensen-McGee, helped them rally for a 26-19 victory.<\/p>\n
They also produced a dramatic comeback in the 2024 final against Chiefs Manawa at Eden Park.<\/p>\n
Trailing 18-5 with 15 minutes remaining, the Blues scored tries through Vahaakolo, who crossed twice, Kahlia Awa and Liana Mikaele-Tu\u2019u to prevail 24-18.<\/p>\n
Their set-piece has been another major strength this season.<\/p>\n
Ross has claimed a competition-high 25 lineouts, while the Blues have won 85 per cent of their lineout ball and 49 of their 51 scrums, the best record in the competition.<\/p>\n
First home final for Matat\u016b<\/p>\n
Matat\u016b will host the Super Rugby Aupiki final for the first time as they chase their second title.<\/p>\n
Their previous triumph came in Hamilton in 2023, when Renee Holmes contributed 23 points in a thrilling 33-31 victory over Chiefs Manawa.<\/p>\n
Matat\u016b opened this season with four consecutive victories for the first time in their history but have since dropped two winnable home matches against Hurricanes Poua and the Blues.<\/p>\n
Against Poua, Matat\u016b raced to a 19-0 lead after 23 minutes before being outplayed across the final hour and falling to a 33-31 defeat.<\/p>\n
They dominated possession and territory for long periods in last weekend\u2019s 38-29 loss to the Blues but were unable to make the most of their opportunities.<\/p>\n
Binky Muamua made a clean break that went unrewarded, while captain Grace Brooker knocked the ball on over the try line. Sititi also produced a vital first-half intercept when the Blues\u2019 defence was stretched.<\/p>\n
Matat\u016b keep faith with settled combination<\/p>\n
Matat\u016b have resisted making wholesale changes for the final.<\/p>\n
Tasman blindside flanker Sarah Jones has been promoted to the starting side in place of 2023 leading tackler Lucy Jenkins. The remainder of the front row and starting backline is unchanged.<\/p>\n
Emma Dermody is the only non-Black Fern in the tight five and has enjoyed an industrious campaign, while No.8 Kaipo Olsen-Baker has scored a try in every match this season.<\/p>\n
Black Ferns centre Amy du Plessis will become the first Matat\u016b player to reach the Glacier Five-Season Milestone.<\/p>\n
The hosts will also be able to call on significant impact from the bench, including electric winger Muamua and Black Ferns front rowers Georgia Ponsonby, Maddi Robinson and Pip Love.<\/p>\n
Nine-Test Black Ferns lock Laura Bayfield is expected to be at the heart of the physical exchanges.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve put ourselves in this position by having a good season, growing together, expressing ourselves and staying fit and excited,\u201d Bayfield said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the Blues, you can\u2019t afford to lose focus, even for a second. Better discipline and concentration have been our focus this week. Our game drivers must step up and take responsibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cI much prefer playing alongside Maia Ross than I do marking her. It will be a great challenge. She\u2019s a very clever, physical and relentless player.\u201d<\/p>\n
TEAMS<\/p>\n
Matat\u016b:<\/p>\n
1: Marcelle Parkes 2: Nat Delamere 3: Santo Taumata 4 Laura Bayfield 5: Emma Dermody 6: Sarah Jones 7: Elinor-Plum King 8: Kaipo Olsen-Baker 9: Maia Joseph 10: Charntay Poko \u00a011: Alena Saili 12: Grace Brooker (C) \u00a013: Amy du Plessis 14: Winnie Palamo 15: Maia Davis\u00a0<\/p>\n
Reserves: 16. Georgia Ponsonby 17. Maddi Robinson 18. Pip Love 19. Paris Lokotui 20. Lucy Jenkins 21. Holly Greenway 22. Kelsyn McCook\u00a0
23. Binky Muamua<\/p>\n
Blues:<\/p>\n
1. Chryss Viliko 2. Atlanta Lolohea 3. Aldora Itunu 4. Maiakawanakaulani Roos (c) 5. Maama Vaipulu 6. Amarante Sititi 7. Danny-Elle Fesolai 8. Liana Mikaele-Tu\u2019u 9. Tara Turner 10. Ruahei Demant 11. Jaymie Kolose 12. Hollyrae Mete-Renata 13. Sylvia Brunt 14. Mererangi Paul 15. Braxton Sorensen-McGee<\/p>\n
Reserves: 16. Grace Gago, 17. Nijiho Nagata, 18. Harono Te Iringa, 19. Eloise Blackwell, 20. Taufa Bason, 21. Tafito Lafaele, 22. Hazel Tubic, 23. Katelyn Vahaakolo<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Two-time defending champions the Blues will face round-robin winners Matat\u016b in the Super Rugby Aupiki final at Te…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":540964,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[111,43,139,69],"class_list":["post-540963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/540963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=540963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/540963\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/540964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=540963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=540963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=540963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}