The party continued for Hawke's Bay on Monday, as they arrived home with Ranfurly Shield in tow.
On Sunday, a clinical 28-9 victory over Otago in Dunedin saw the Magpies become the fourth team to hold the Shield this season, with the southerners' tenure ending just seven days after they won it off Taranaki.
The squad arrived at Hawke's Bay Airport to a heroes' welcome, with dozens of loyal fans turning out to catch a glimpse of the silverware.
"It's unreal," says prop Joel Hintz. "It's so good to finally get it, we've been working hard.
"[Winning the Shield] doesn't come easy, so we appreciate it."
Hawke's Bay won't be asked to defend the 'Log O' Wood' until they play Northland on October 16, so there's no chance of eclipsing their own 2013 record for the shortest shield tenure of just six days.
The Magpies will play North Harbour at Albany on Saturday.
Join us for live updates of Mitre 10 Cup this weekend
