The brief interlude of Australian supremacy is over. The Super 12 trophy returned to New Zealand, where it has resided for all but one of the last seven years of the competition's life. The Crusaders, champions for three consecutive years before the ACT Brumbies brought the mantle to Australia in some style last season, completed the first unbeaten season in Super 12 rugby by beating those very same Brumbies 31-13 in the final in Christchurch's Jade Stadium.

The Brumbies had struggled for form during their defence of the title that they won so brilliantly last season, but nevertheless did enough to make the play-offs where it looked as if they might be rediscovering their best form.

But the Crusaders negotiated the pool stages without losing a game - a feat never accomplished before - and, although not as comfortable as the scoreline suggests, their triumph over the Brumbies in the final was never in serious doubt.

The first 20 minutes were scoreless, but it was the Brumbies that took the lead with an Andrew Walker penalty against the run of play. This only roused the Crusaders further and, after Andrew Mehrtens levelled with a penalty seven minutes later, Marika Vunibaka finished off a sweeping move starring Scott Robertson and Aaron Mauger for the try that gave the Crusaders the edge at half-time.

The Brumbies were by now further disrupted by the loss to injury of Stephen Larkham and, despite a livelier showing in the second half, were never quite able to unsettle the Crusaders unduly. But they were suddenly whisked back into contention by the pace of Walker, who intercepted Justin Marshall's pass to run the length of the field and pull his team back into contention at 14-13 with five minutes remaining. The Crusaders responded, however, and Mehrtens's drop goal, followed by two Caleb Ralph tries, settled the Aussie insurrection.

Rotherham will know in the next fortnight whether an investigation will be launched by the Office of Fair Trading into their exclusion from the Premiership. Thirty-three MPs have put their name to a motion for the House of Commons over the matter. And, if wrong-doing is the verdict, Richard Caborn, the Minister for Sport, may review the level of funding that rugby union clubs receive from Sport England.