Scrawled in black on Aaron Smith's shiny white boots was a message that defined the Highlanders' Super Rugby success: 'Prove why'.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

The Highlanders are focused heading into Saturday's Super Rugby final in Wellington. Video / Southern Stringers

A contingent of more than 500 Highlanders supporters will march into Westpac Stadium on Saturday night as part of the ''Landers Army''. A social media page set up to organise the ''army'' indicated the number could grow, with about 1400 signed up by noon yesterday. Source: Otago Daily Times/Youtube

More tickets to the super rugby final have gone on sale this morning from a pop-up Ticketek store outside Te Papa in Wellington. Two thousand tickets were made available from 8am for punters lining up - and some have been there since six o'clock last night. Each fan could purchase a maximum of two tickets. Fans cheered and clapped for Hurricanes hooker and All Black Dane Coles when he arrived.

The grapes were very sour in Sydney as the Highlanders hillbilly forwards soaked up all the hometown posturing - then rattled to the winning post, writes Wynne Gray.

Pick any quality and the Highlanders showed it in Sydney tonight to make it an all New Zealand final.

History has not been kind to the Highlanders - but they have proven history to be irrelevant time and time again.

From playing rugby with an old plastic bottle to pulling on the black jersey, Waisake Naholo's path to the top has not been straightforward.

Where will the match turn, what can we look for to see who's getting some traction? Wynne Gray provides the analysis.

Liam Coltman is not getting ahead of himself. The Waratahs - and their big, bristling forwards - await, but the Highlanders hooker and his team are staying calm.

The Highlanders are one win away from playing in their second Super Rugby final, with only the Waratahs standing between Jamie Joseph's side and the final.

The Highlanders need to be shown a bit more respect, their former coach Greg Cooper believes.

Aaron Smith is the one of the most vital players in All Black rugby today. And he is in the form of his life.