The 2014 Super Rugby final, stylised as the 2014 Super Rugby Grand Final, was the final match of the 2014 Super Rugby season and the decider of the Finals Series, the 19th season of the Southern Hemisphere's premier rugby union competition organised by SANZAAR. The 19th Super Rugby final, it was the ninth, and most recent, Trans-Tasman final (after 1997, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2011, and 2013). The match was played on 2 August 2014 at Stadium Australia in Sydney's Olympic Park.
The Waratahs won the match 33âÂÂ32 after a final penalty goal through Bernard Foley sealed the Waratahs' maiden Super Rugby title.
The reached their third final since the inception of the competition in 1996, the second-most of the Australian teams. Their total finals appearances sat behind the , who lost in their sixth final the previous year (2013), and ahead of their arch-rivals the Queensland Reds whose sole final appearance came in their title-winning 2011 season. This was the Waratahs' first final since 2008, and was the first time they were hosts going into the final. In their two previous finals appearances (2005, 2008), the Waratahs met the in Christchurch, having finished second on the regular season ladder in both cases. It was also coach Michael Cheika's first final as coach of the team. Leading into the final, the Waratahs were on a seven-match win streak, all of which were one by 16 points or more. The Waratahs were also the favourites, with bookmakers Ladbrokes and Betfair having the Waratahs at 1.73 and 1.86, respectively, compared to the at 2.10 and 2.29, respectively.
The Crusaders reached their eleventh final, more than any other team in the competition. It was their first final appearance since 2011, which was also a Trans-Tasman matchup, featuring the of Brisbane. Going into the match, the had seven titles to their name, four more than the closest contenders (Blues, Bulls), two of which were won against the Waratahs (2005, 2008). During the regular season, the Crusaders edged out the for second-place on the ladder in the final round after a bonus-point victory over the . This finish gave the Crusaders a home advantage Semi-final, for which they defeated the Sharks 38âÂÂ6. This was Todd Blackadder's second final as coach of the Crusaders.
As per convention in the Super Rugby, the host of the final is whoever is ranked higher on the regular season ladder. As such, the , whom finished the regular season minor premiers, earnt the right to host the 2014 final upon their Semi-final victory against the . This was the first time in the competitions history that they had achieved this feat.
Although the Waratahs had played most of the regular season, and their semi-finals match, at the Sydney Football Stadium, the venue for the final was Stadium Australia. This was due to a nine-year deal the Waratahs had with the venue, wherein they were required to stage two home fixtures per season at the venue, with the agreement further stipulating that any final hosted by the Waratahs would also be held at the ground. The change led to coach Todd Blackadder describing the venue as neutral ground. He stated before the match, "this could only be the accountants and not so much the players [making the decision]. I donâÂÂt think it will make a difference to them; no one is going to be hamstrung by it. But for us ... the psychological aspect of going to a neutral stadium is just fantastic."
Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).