More than 2000 fans descended on Dunedin International Airport today to welcome home their heroes.

Wellington based police said overall, the crowds who flocked to the cake tin in the capital last night, were well behaved.

I'm gutted for our boys. The Highlanders deserved to win. They led for the whole game and took their opportunities, writes Martin Devlin.

After 19 seasons of heartbreak and underachievement, the Highlanders' winning efforts unleashed emotional scenes from hardcore fans.

It was a great game - both teams were evenly matched - but the Highlanders executed their moves and played brilliantly, writes Dunedin South MP Clare Curran.

The Hurricanes are the only New Zealand side who have never won Super Rugby and that wait will extend another season.

The Highlanders have won their first ever Super Rugby title after beating the Hurricanes in an epic encounter in Wellington tonight.

Join us here for our live blog of tonight's Super Rugby final between the Hurricanes and the Highlanders in Wellington.

Conrad Smith, 33, will leave for France after the World Cup with something missing on his impressive rugby resume.

One team will win a Super Rugby title for the first time tonight. Wynne Gray takes us for a trip down memory lane ahead of the monumental clash.

A former teammate of Jerry Collins has posted a touching picture of himself bottle feeding baby Ayla, who is draped under her father's Hurricanes' jersey.

Wellington is full to the brim with rugby fans as a rolling maul of southerners invades the capital ahead of tomorrow's Super Rugby final.

He's one of the toughest men to pull on an All Black jersey ... and he's humble, nice and has a smile like a sunbeam.

If they were a film cast, they would be more like Entourage than a George Clooney-Brad Pitt feature.

'Skinny white guy' who became a midfield master signs off for the Hurricanes tonight, writes Daniel Richardson.

Hurricanes flanker Ardie Savea is on track to play in tomorrow's Super Rugby final, with coach Chris Boyd saying "as of now, he is".

He is a staunch Hurricanes supporter so why won't the former Campbell Live presenter be in the stands? Chris Rattue finds out.

Hurricanes fans have been through it all. We've endured most things. We're expecting this title tomorrow night. We need this title tomorrow night, writes Andrew Mulligan.

Wellingtonians have become understandably pessimistic, expecting the worst in order to limit their disappointment when the worst duly transpires, writes Paul Thomas.

Sympathy for the southern man is a sporting trait we find hard to shift, writes Wynne Gray.

The votes have been tallied, and the results of the Herald's inaugural Super Rugby MVP ballot are in.

The Highlanders have named an unchanged side ahead of what they hope will be an occasion to celebrate in the Super Rugby final

For those neutral Super Rugby fans we give our guide on whether you should be cheering the Hurricanes or the Highlanders.

175 TAB customers placed bets the final would be an all-Kiwi affair between the Hurricanes and Highlanders, with $5500 the highest payout.

Despite the long odds, some Kiwis did predict a Hurricanes v Highlanders Super Rugby final.

The success of the Hurricanes and Highlanders has flown in the face of a popular sporting cliche.

These famous Hurricanes and Highlanders fans have worked out how the neutrals can give themselves something to cheer for in Saturday's final.