Australia secured their fourth consecutive Women’s Rugby League World Cup title on Saturday by defeating New Zealand 34-10 in the final at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium. The Jillaroos dominated the match from the beginning, scoring six tries in the first half alone to build an unassailable lead.
Star winger Jaime Chapman led the Australian onslaught with a sensational first-half hat-trick. Her performance brought her tournament tally to 13 tries, setting a new record for an individual player at a World Cup. Chapman now holds 18 tries from her 10 Test appearances.
Australia entered the final after a sluggish start against Fiji the previous week, where they fell behind 8-0 before recovering to win 30-14. Jillaroos coach Jess Skinner made a major pre-match selection change on Saturday by dropping half Jocelyn Kelleher in favour of 21-year-old Jesse Southwell.
New Zealand struggled to contain the reigning champions under sweltering conditions at Suncorp Stadium. Despite performing their traditional haka before kickoff, the Kiwi Ferns committed early errors and fell behind 12-0 within the first seven minutes.
Chapman opened the scoring in the second minute after an error from New Zealand player Alexis Tauaneai. Following the first tackle of the set, the Australians shifted the ball left to find Chapman in space, and she evaded multiple defenders to touch down.
Four tackles later, Shaylee Bent ran a sharp diagonal line at speed to cross for Australia’s second try. Southwell then created an opportunity by taking on the defensive line and slinging an infield pass that allowed Chapman to leap into the corner for her second score.
The Jillaroos extended their advantage when Jessica Sergis intercepted and sprinted 80 metres to score, pushing the margin to 24-0. New Zealand coach Ricky Henry introduced substitute Ashleigh Quinlan during a hydration break, which briefly sparked the Kiwi attack.
Former Jillaroo Shannon Mato barged over for New Zealand following a short ball from Quinlan. Australia responded immediately when Chapman gathered a loose ball and sprinted 70 metres through the infield for her third try.
Before the half-time break, Tarryn Aiken drew two defenders and passed to Tamika Upton, who fed Abbi Church. Church delivered the ball back to the fullback to make the score 34-6.
The second half brought fewer scoring opportunities as both teams tired in the heat, leaving the final score at 34-10.
