Super Bowl success adds to New Orleans' restoration

Five years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the city's football team the Saints defeated favourites Indianapolis Colts 31-17 on the USA's grandest sporting stage.

The team's first Super Bowl victory was thoroughly merited and owed much to the bold play-calling of head coach Sean Payton and the execution of an adventurous game plan by quarterback Drew Brees, who was named the game's most valuable player after throwing for two touchdowns and 288 yards.

He also tied a Super Bowl record for most passes completed, 32 of the 39 he threw.

In August 2005 Saints' Louisiana Superdome provided refuge for thousands of people whose homes had been ruined by Hurricane Katrina.

The team played their games out of the city that season but returned home the following year to give New Orleans a distraction as it continued the rebuilding effort following the destruction caused by the fifth largest hurricane to hit the United States.

They came to Wembley 16 months ago to continue spreading their story of hope. Yet there has always been sporting substance to the backdrop of resurrection, as they proved against San Diego in London in October 2008, and as they had done all this season.

Despite reaching Superbowl XLIV as the NFC's top seeds, they were underdogs against the Colts. But New Orleans' offence had a few tricks up their sleeve, particularly the ambitious onside kick at the start of the second half which they recovered and turned into a touchdown. When Tracy Porter intercepted Peyton Manning late in the fourth quarter and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown, the recovery from 10-0 down early in the first half was complete.

"Our city has had to fight through a lot of adversity," said Brees. "But we've done it together and in the end we've gained a lot of strength from them and that's what gave us the ability to go out and win the championship."

Building on Sunday's win in Miami will be difficult given the abolition of the salary cap in the National Football League which for decades has enabled a team like the Saints – who for much of their 42-year existence have been a laughing stock – the chance to defy the odds and claim the sport's greatest prize.

For now, though, the city of New Orleans is enjoying its finest hour.