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MapAustralia Reach Women’s Rugby League World Cup Final After Beating Fiji 30-14
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Australia beat Fiji 30-14 to reach fifth consecutive Women's Rugby League World Cup final. Abbi Church scored four tries in the semi-final victory.
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Jillaroos reach final
Australia reached their fifth successive Women’s Rugby League World Cup final after beating Fiji 30-14 at Sydney Football Stadium, with Abbi Church scoring four tries to help the Jillaroos recover from an early deficit. Fiji opened the scoring and led 8-0, with captain Sereana Naitokatoka stealing the ball from Jaime Chapman 10 metres from the Australia line before Luisa Yaranamua scored and converted to extend the lead.
Australia trailed for the first time at this tournament, but the Jillaroos levelled at 8-8 by half-time and then took control in the second half to secure the 30-14 win. Australia will face New Zealand in the final next Sunday in Brisbane, with kick-off scheduled for 05:10 GMT.
Fiji scare and key moments
Fiji made the contest a major test for the Jillaroos, and the match swung after Australia restored order following a first-half spell in which Fiji put pressure on the Australia line from the start. Luisa Yaranamua kicked a penalty goal after Simaima Taufa conceded a penalty under the posts, and Fiji then went all the way four minutes later to score for an 8-0 lead.
The Jillaroos responded with two tries in the final 10 minutes of the opening half, and Abbi Church drove over in the right corner before Tamika Upton slipped through the defence as Australia returned pressure following a Fiji drop-out. The Jillaroos then extended their advantage when Church completed her treble, including a catch from a booming Tarryn Aiken kick to the corner, before grounding the ball at full tilt.
What comes next
Australia’s win set up a trans-Tasman decider against New Zealand in Brisbane, and the Jillaroos will aim to secure a fourth consecutive title after reaching the final for a fifth successive time. Fiji’s late Maria Paseka try provided a flourish for the Bulikula, but Church still had the last word by collecting Losana Lutu’s kick around 30 metres from her own line and racing clear to score.
“‘They’re the games that you want to play when you play rugby league,’ Kelly said.”
Isabelle Kelly said the close nature of the semi-final showed “a lot of character within the girls that are out there in the battle,” as she reflected on what the Jillaroos needed to do after trailing 8-0 late in the first half. Fiji coach Jone Wesele said, “We only get better when we play against the world’s best teams,” after the Bulikula became the first Fijian women’s side to reach a World Cup semi-final.