Super Rugby AUS is done and dusted for its first season, culminating in a thrilling final that saw the NSW Waratahs defeat the hosts Western Force 33-26 on the bell at Wanneroo.
With coaches and players all singing the competition's praises for the critical domestic game time and fans flocking to club grounds to watch their Super Rugby stars play on their home turf, it's fair to say the appetite is there for more.
Watch every second of Super Rugby AUS live and on demand via the Rugby.com.au YouTube channel.
If this is what the first season has to offer, then bring it on for more.
Over the course of the competition, more than 40 club players made the transition to Super Rugby level over the four weeks, with several notable names turning heads.
Now, with Australia A and Wallabies Spring Tour calculations ahead, it is time to see who rose to the top, as Rugby Australia's High Performance staff select their Team of the Season.
One of the other great opportunities a competition provides is the chance to not only give new up-and-comers the chance to compete, but also for second-string Super Rugby players to get time in the legs and push for higher honours.
Sef Fa'agase was one such player, growing into the season and starting as a bench option that helped lock in the Reds' win over the Brumbies and stem the tide against a rampaging Waratahs.
He made the starting side against the Force, and his impact at scrum time was immediate as the visitors dominated the set piece.
Starting in every match for the Waratahs, Ethan Dobbins grew brilliantly into the season, a strong microcosm of the sky blue season at large.
Turning out nearly 70-minute performances in every match, the hooker showed he not only has an engine but the discipline to match, winning his last 26 lineouts against the Brumbies and Force.
Like his hooker, Botha started every match for the Waratahs - and his efforts are a big reason why they now hold the inaugural title.
Even in defeat, the Waratahs' scrum was a dominant force across the season, and Botha was the reason the champions were able to establish such a strong platform at the set piece.
Our first fringe Wallaby on the list, when the Reds were on fire, Seru Uru was a major reason for it. His workhorse ability in general play, particularly at set pieces, proved critical for wins over the Brumbies and Force.
Across the season, the big lock put that experience and discipline to good use, missing just one tackle in the entire tournament and not conceding a single penalty.
The first of an impressive class of next-generation players in the side.
Despite the disappointment of the final, the Western Force will leave the season with a lot of confidence in the talent coming through their ranks at HQ in Floreat.
Off the back of their improving lineout, they have a massive find on their hands in Mitch Watts - he never made the highlight reels, but his blossoming set-piece game under Darcy Swain, combined with a massive motor.
Originally not even making the Waratahs' opening round team, when Clem Halaholo got his first chance against the Reds, he took it with both hands and didn't look back.
Beating two defenders and generating a linebreak inside ten minutes, Halaholo would move into the starting the following week and hold his spot the rest of the season, with a brutal physical edge and barnstorming carrying ability.
Capping it off with winning Player of the Final, it was a season the 22-year-old won't forget.
As the Waratahs grew into their short season, they needed a strong second fringe rugby player to lead the way - and they found one in Englishman Jamie Adamson.
Becoming one of the side's big leaders, Adamson's double against the Brumbies capped off a massive month of work, the loose head topping the Tahs' tackle count in three out of their four games.
One of the most dangerous loose forwards in the competition, Ekuasi has continued to blossom under the Force program since coming over from Victoria.
The loose forward made an incredible 42 carries across the season, with his try in the grand final the icing on the cake.
While Nic White's career wraps up in the west, a new, exciting scrum half has emerged in Henry Robertson.
A jack-of-all-trades, Robertson proved an excellent partner with Max Burey and Kurtley Beale, the Australia U20 star being able to snipe around rucks, provide excellent support play, and really get the most out of the Force's backline.
Ever since unleashing against the Brumbies, Max Burey has been the face of the tournament, and with competition from the likes of Ben Donaldson, Declan Meredith and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, he still stood out.
Making five linebreaks, scoring three tries, beating 15 defenders and topping the points tally with 30 points, you know you've made an impact when fans are calling for you to be included in the Wallabies' Autumn Series squad.
A major part of the Waratahs' resurgence can be found on the boot of Sid Harvey, the young winger showing great potential as a future goal kicker for Australian rugby.
Scoring a try and proving a great attacking option in general play, Harvey missed just two of 19 shots on goal across the season, having the ball on a string even in tough conditions.
The only Brumby to make the list, it was a tough season for the men from Canberra, with sides producing their best rugby against them, combined with the toughest travel schedule.
However, the ACT had some great finds, and First Nations Pasifika XV star McLeod tops the list, growing brilliantly into the season in both attack and defence.
Finishing with a double against the Waratahs, it capped off a breakout year for the centre, which bodes well for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Building nicely as a solid backup centre option for the Force since 2023, the 23-year-old Poolman put his 31 Super Rugby caps to good use, scoring two tries and serving as a valuable running mate alongside Kurtley Beale.
With stiff competition in the west from Boston Fakafanua, Divad Palu, Hamish Stewart, and Bayley Kuenzle, this four-week tournament will have done a lot to showcase Poolman as one of the secret weapon options for the Force.
After a quieter Super Rugby Pacific season in 2025, the 'Junkyard' Dog was back to his best for the Reds, scoring a hat-trick and lighting up the crowd in the opening round against the Brumbies.
Ryan would back it up in the Reds' win over the Force, busting four tackles and helping the men in maroon get ahead early against the hosts.
If there was one young star who came close to usurping Max Burey as player of the tournament, it was James Hendren, his performance in front of a packed Narribri crowd the best individual performance of the tournament.
Scoring four tries (including outpacing Tim Ryan in a long-range effort), Hendren announced himself as a star of the future, backing it up with playing every minute of the Waratahs' four matches.
