Australia asserted its dominance over women’s rugby league with an emphatic 34-10 World Cup final victory over a sloppy and outmatched New Zealand outfit in sweltering Brisbane conditions.
The Jillaroos gave the trophy engravers the go-ahead for an early start with four converted tries in the first 18 minutes, before getting out to a 28-point halftime lead.
Mercifully, the Kiwi Ferns discovered some defensive resolve in the second stanza, but aimless, unimaginative attack near the opposition line prevented them from eating into the huge deficit until it was too late.
It’s doubtful any team in any World Cup final — in any code — has produced a worse start than the Kiwi Ferns. A half-break by the Jillaroos in the opening set sounded an ominous warning, before Kaylah Atai coughed up the ball on the Kiwi Ferns’ second run of the game. Mackenzie Wiki’s feeble attempted tackle on opposite Jamie Chapman saw the Australian winger grab a brilliant try in the corner.
A penalty soon after the ensuing restart led to Shaylee Bent brushing through listless defence to give the Jillaroos a 12-0 lead just seven minutes in.
After multiple errors by the home side, the Kiwi Ferns launched a couple of pedestrian attacking forays before Chapman capitalised on an overlap to dive in for her second. Jesse Southwell’s second sideline conversion made it 18-0.
Jillaroos centre Jessica Sergis busting through on her own side of halfway to streak away for their fourth try was the most glaring moment of a diabolical first 20 minutes for the Kiwi Ferns.
Following a much-needed drinks break, the besieged Ferns found a reprieve as interchange forward Shannon Mato plunged over from close range. It was a short-lived break from the onslaught, however, with Chapman slicing through and sprinting 50 metres for her hat-trick inside half an hour.
Capping a devastating first-half display from the Jillaroos, fullback Tamika Upton and winger Abbi Church combined for the latter to score — consigning the Kiwi Ferns to a 34-6 deficit at the break.
The tries dried up for Australia in the second half and New Zealand had a raft of opportunities to hit back, but they lacked direction and variety inside the Jillaroos’ 20-metre area and butchered several chances.
Raecene McGregor’s injury exit with 15 minutes left further derailed the Kiwi Ferns’ attack. Wiki picked up a consolation try from a Jillaroos error in the dying seconds.
Despite putting the cue in the rack to a certain extent in the second half, the Jillaroos proved too fast, too fit and too skilful for the Kiwi Ferns — who head back to the drawing board to try and figure out how to close a trans-Tasman gap that is as big as its ever been.
WOMEN’S RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP FINAL
Jillaroos (Jamie Chapman 3, Shaylee Bent, Jessica Sergis, Tamika Upton tries; Jessie Southwell 5 goals) defeated Kiwi Ferns 10 (Shannon Mato, Mackenzie Wiki tries; Chantay Kiria-Ratu goal) at Suncorp Stadium.