New All Blacks fly-half Lima Sopoaga, 23, out-played his established international counterpart Beauden Barrett in one of the game’s key contests.

Sopoaga kicked a conversion and two penalties in the first half to lift his tally for the season near 190 points, while Barrett missed his first three shots at goal before kicking three penalties in the second half to spark a Hurricanes rally.

Sopoaga delivered an accurate tactical kicking game before being forced from the field with a calf injury late in the second period. His replacement, utility back Marty Banks, picked up where Sopoaga left off kicking a drop goal three minutes from the finish to snuff out any possibility of a Hurricanes comeback.

Highlanders co-captain Nasi Manu, who played the match with one eye closed by a previous injury, beamed as he held the championship trophy aloft.

“I’m just so proud of the boys,” he said. “We’ve played well as a team all season and what a way to end it.”

Aaron Smith, the south island franchise's scrum-half, added: “No one believed in us and I said to the boys, ‘Earn the right to be called champions’, and we did it. We’re just down south being humble and doing our thing. We’ve done it. We’ve proved everyone wrong.”

A capacity crowd of 35,400 packed Wellington’s Westpac Stadium – most hoping to see their Hurricanes conclude a 19-year hunt for a first Super Rugby title.

When the Hurricanes finished atop the 2015 table with 14 wins from 16 games – their best-ever season – they seemed more likely than ever to end that title drought.

But the Highlanders were better organised and more composed throughout the match, leading from the fourth minute when Sopoaga kicked his first penalty.

The Hurricanes fell away from the game plan that had served them so well all season and found themselves inhibited by the vigorous Highlanders defence.

Saturday’s match was meant to be a triumphant send-off for at least six key Hurricanes players who will not return next season – among them captain Conrad Smith, his midfield partner Ma'a Nonu, lock Jeremy Thrush and prop Ben Franks.

Instead, it became a triumph for the Highlanders who started the season as one of the least-fancied teams in the competition before blazing a brilliant trail to the title decider.

“It’s finals footy and there are some gutted men on our side,” said Smith, who was playing his last game in Super Rugby and will join French Top 14 outfit Pau next season.

“We met a Highlanders side that played out of their skins. I take my hat off to them, they deserve to be victorious.”

After achieving their best-ever regular season record to finish second to the Hurricanes only on points, the Highlanders won a home quarter-final, then travelled to Sydney to beat the defending champions NSW Waratahs in the semi-finals.

Before Saturday’s kick-off the Highlanders were given little chance of upsetting the Hurricanes, but after seizing that early lead through Sopoaga they never released their grip on the match.

And the result was a triumphant way to farewell Edinburgh-bound Highlanders co-captain Manu.

Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse