The Hurricanes opened their Super Rugby season in emphatic fashion with a commanding 52–10 victory over Moana Pasifika at Sky Stadium in Wellington, overcoming an early Moana try to Tuna Tuitama before unleashing a clinical attacking display driven by captain Jordie Barrett and standout fullback Callum Harkin.
Moana showed early physical intent but were repeatedly exposed on the edges as the Hurricanes’ slick backline execution produced a series of well-worked tries, giving the home side a decisive halftime lead they never looked like surrendering despite Moana fielding eight debutants.
Harkin delivered one of the performances of the night with multiple line breaks and three try assists while later stepping seamlessly into first five following Brett Cameron’s knee injury, while No.8 Braydon Iose strengthened his All Blacks credentials with a powerful all-round display including two tries, heavy defensive work and strong running metres.
Barrett marked his return from overseas with a commanding performance orchestrating attacking movements, and winger Josh Moorby celebrated his Super Rugby comeback with a hat-trick, as new lock Warner Dearns recovered from an early shaky start to produce a dominant effort at the set piece and in defence, underlining the Hurricanes’ depth and title ambitions heading into the 2026 campaign.
