Rugby

Brumbies secure finals spot

May 23, 2026 6:00 am

The ACT Brumbies have secured a Super Rugby Pacific finals spot. [Photo: SUPER RUGBY]

The ACT Brumbies have secured a Super Rugby Pacific finals spot and placed the NSW Waratahs’ season on life support with a clinical 21-14 derby win in Sydney.

The Brumbies punished the Waratahs for their lack of execution, with 37-year-old lock Cadeyrn Neville proving an unlikely hero in last night’s tense victory at Allianz Stadium.

While Australia’s benchmark Brumbies also kept alive their hopes of a crucial top-four finish, another frustrating home defeat for the Waratahs left Dan McKellar’s erratic outfit needing a miracle to make the playoffs.

The Tahs must beat the Western Force in Perth next Saturday and pray the sixth-placed Queensland Reds lose their remaining two regular-season games – against Moana Pasifika in Auckland and Fijian Drua in Brisbane – to scrape into the playoffs.

Article continues after advertisement