Katelyn Vaha'akolo scores 82nd-minute winner to secure Blues three-peat

The 2026 Super Rugby Aupiki decider had a familiar flavour to it, with two regions that love to do battle squaring off, as they had done so in the final the year before.

This time, Matatu hosted the Blues under the roof at One New Zealand Stadium, with the visitors out to claim a historic three-peat and the hosts hoping to kick off a new era with another famous title.

It came down to the 82nd minute, when the scores were tied, and Black Ferns star Katelyn Vaha’akolo got the ball in her hands, delivering the title-winning blow to cap a superb performance off the bench.

The Blues’ physicality made its mark early, with heavy collisions denying the hosts any attacking momentum before the Blues’ scrum won a penalty in the fourth minute. Once the Blues were on the attack, it was Matatu’s turn to front up defensively, and they did just that, absorbing some hard runs from Amarante Sititi and some snipes by Tara Turner before stealing the ball.

Hollyrae Mete-Renata made a break in centrefield to put the Blues on the front foot in the 13th minute, and a pair of cut-out passes to the right edge made more metres during the ensuing phase play, with Braxton Sorensen-McGee chewing through metres before offloading to Mererangi Paul, who was cut down 10 metres from the try line. A handful of strong carries later, the Blues were over for the first points of the game, with Atlanta Lolohea providing the finishing power.

Emma Dermody won a breakdown penalty shortly after play resumed, and the two sides clashed for 20 gruelling phases inside the Blues’ 22, until Maia Joseph dropped the ball over the line. Matatu were playing under advantage, and after going back for a scrum, 19-year-old Sarah Jones, in her first Super Rugby Aupiki start, took on two defenders and won, crashing over the line under the posts. The blindside flanker had already stolen the ball twice in contact to start the game.

The ball remained in the Blues’ half for the next five minutes, with Elinor-Plum King winning Matatu another breakdown penalty before Kaipo Olsen-Baker beat one defender and drew another, offloading to put Alena Saili away in the corner.

The Blues were soon back on their own line, trying to exit after a Sarah Jones chip ahead put the ball out deep in the visitors’ half. Instead of kicking, the Blues’ outside backs went to work, with Vaha’akolo making big metres before Mererangi Paul was caught high by Maia Joseph, who was sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes.

There were just two minutes remaining in the half with the Blues trailing 14-7, but they fumbled their lineout, and Matatu wore down the clock.

Ruahei Demant had some misfires off the boot in the first half and started the second with another, with her kickoff falling short of the 10-metre line. However, an Alena Saili knock-on handed possession back to the Blues, and Sylvia Brunt decided to take on the Matatu line, running over three defenders before getting the ball back two phases later and delivering the cut-out try assist for Vaha’akolo.

Meaningful momentum was hard to win for both teams for much of the second half, but it was again Vaha’akolo who generated some front-foot ball for the Blues, with Jaymie Kolose and Sititi contributing more go-forward with strong runs of their own. Liana Mikaele-Tu’u broke free with a pick-and-go, offloading to Tara Turner, who was taken down just metres from the try line. Sititi went at the line again and placed the ball back swiftly for Lolohea to pick and go and score. Demant’s conversion made it 21-14 with 10 minutes remaining.

Play became frantic in a hurry, with the Blues resisting Matatu’s charges initially before the hosts found a chink in the armour and pressed into the visitors’ 22, only for Harono Te Iringa to come up with a timely steal. However, the next time Matatu came knocking, Maama Vaipulu was sent to the bin for a high shot.

Matatu threw a huge number of their players into a driving maul with three minutes remaining in the match, with Georgia Ponsonby emerging from the pile, and a clear grounding over the line was spotted. Maia Joseph’s conversion with 90 seconds on the clock left the scores tied at 21 points apiece.

Matatu tried to run out the clock with the ball, but Sititi got her hands on it just seconds before the clock went into the red, giving the Blues one final shot at a dramatic win.

Two driving carries from Maia Roos got her team into the 22, with Olsen-Baker eventually penalised at the breakdown. Even more drama ensued when the Blues took a quick tap instead of going for the posts. Matatu’s defence in tight wouldn’t budge, so the ball was sent wide to Vaha’akolo, who stepped inside and was dragged down only to reach and place the ball on the line, winning the title for her team. Final score: 28-21 to the Blues.