RUGBY

New Zealand opened its Women's Rugby League World Cup campaign with an 18-12 win over Fiji at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle, Australia, but the Kiwi Ferns needed a try from Leianne Tufuga in the final minutes to put away a Bulikula side playing its first World Cup match.

The game began on script. Stacey Waaka, the Olympic sevens gold medalist making her Test debut on the wing, scored after two minutes. Fiji then took over possession and field position. In the 21st minute, a strong run and quick play-the-ball from Lorren Ieli let Sereana Naitokatoka dart from dummy half and send Losana Lutu through for the first World Cup try in Fiji's history. Five minutes later, center Sienna Laing chased a Lutu grubber and scored, and Fiji led 12-4.

Waaka pulled New Zealand back with her second try just before the break, but Fiji went to halftime ahead 12-10. It was the first time in World Cup history that the Ferns had trailed at the interval against a team other than Australia.

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Georgie Perris-Redding scored three tries and the United States built a first-half lead big enough to withstand a second-half Italian charge, beating Italy 36-27 in the WXV Global Series on Saturday at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium in Mansfield, Texas. The Eagles are unbeaten in the series after September road wins over Ireland, 40-36 in Dublin, and Wales, 26-24 in Cardiff.

Perris-Redding opened the scoring in the 10th minute and Bella Vogel converted. Francesca Granzotto answered for Italy five minutes later, but the Americans took control before halftime. Perris-Redding crossed again in the 22nd minute, then Hope Rogers scored twice in five minutes, at 28 and 33, to make it 26-5. Vittoria Vecchini's try in the 38th minute cut the gap to 26-10 at the break.

Perris-Redding completed her hat trick seven minutes into the second half, and Vogel's fourth conversion made it 33-10. Then Italy came. Aura Muzzo scored in the 55th minute and Granzotto converted. With Telesi Uhatafe in the sin bin after a yellow card in the 56th, Vittoria Zanette went over two minutes later to make it 33-22. Giorgia Cuoghi's yellow card for Italy evened the numbers, and the Eagles steadied. Vogel's penalty in the 77th minute restored a two-score lead before Granzotto's second try in the 79th set the final margin.

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Australia began its pursuit of a fourth straight Women's Rugby League World Cup title on Friday night by beating Fetu Samoa 40-0 at CommBank Stadium in Western Sydney. The Jillaroos scored seven tries and led 28-0 at halftime. Jocelyn Kelleher, playing five-eighth on her Test debut, was named player of the match after kicking six conversions.

Samoa had the better of the opening minutes and turned down two shots at goal in kicking range to chase a try, but the pressure produced nothing. Jaime Chapman opened the scoring for Australia in the 11th minute, and Julia Robinson followed seven minutes later for her 23rd try in her 14th Test, extending her record as the Jillaroos' leading try-scorer. Shaylee Bent, Keeley Nizza and Olivia Kernick crossed before the break. Keilee Joseph scored early in the second half and Jessica Sergis added the last try in the 68th minute. Samoa's best chance came on the hour, when prop Laikha Clarke lost the ball over the line, and the shutout held.

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Canada beat world champion England 24-21 in the WXV Global Series on Friday night at BMO Field, where replacement Shoshanah Seumanutafa dived over in the corner two minutes from time. It was England's first defeat since the 34-31 loss to New Zealand in the 2022 World Cup final, a run of four years. The crowd of 18,621 set a record for a stand-alone women's rugby match in North America, well above the 11,453 who watched Canada play the United States in Ottawa on Aug. 1, 2025. It was also Canada's first match at BMO Field.

Savannah Bauder gave Canada the lead in the 16th minute, but the match turned when second-row Laetitia Royer was sin-binned in the 30th minute for repeated Canadian infringements. England used the extra player at the set piece. Maddie Feaunati crashed over off a scrum that was marching forward in the 33rd minute, and Zoe Harrison powered through Kiki Idowu five minutes later after Jess Breach had put the Red Roses on the front foot. England went to the break ahead 14-5.

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