Updates as the Jillaroos and Fetu Samoa meet in the opener Sydney
Kick-off time is 8.05pm AEDT/10.05pm NZDT/10.05am BST
Any thoughts? with an email
And if you want to catch up on the action from last night’s opening game on the men’s side of the draw, have a read of Angus Fontaine’s match report.
If you’re coming into this game pretty fresh, here’s something I prepared earlier on the women’s tournament and the rapidly closing gap between nations.
1. Destiny Mino-Sinapati 2. Mercedez Taulelei-Siala 3. Monica Tagoai 4. Sarina Masaga 5. Freedom Crichton Ropati 6. Tailah Fuimaono 7. Pauline Piliae-Rasabale 8. Annette Nuuausala 9. Mary-Jane Taito 10. Laikha Clarke 11. Evania Isa’ako 12. Ivana Lolesio 13. Leilani Wilson Interchange: 14. Evelyn Roberts 15. Fanua Rimoni 16. Amber Hall 17. Jasmine Fogavini
1. Tamika Upton 2. Jaime Chapman 3. Jessica Sergis 4. Isabelle Kelly (c) 5. Julia Robinson 6. Jocelyn Kelleher 7. Tarryn Aiken 8. Millie Elliott 9. Olivia Higgins 10. Simaima Taufa 11. Kezie Apps 12. Shaylee Bent 13. Olivia Kernick Interchange: 14. Keeley Nizza 15. Keilee Joseph 16. Tiana Penitani-Gray 17. Ellie Johnston
Hello and welcome to the opening game for the women’s competition at the Rugby League World Cup. The men set the stage last night, with an epic opener and now its time for the women to show the world what they can do.
While the Jillaroos are heavy favourite for this game, don’t underestimate Fetu Samoa. With eight members of the Gold Coast Titans NRLW team in their squad, they will have some strong connections and plenty of passion.
The Jillaroos are looking to back up their 2022 World Cup win by taking out the trophy on home soil, and while they are confident they have the team to do it, they are wary of the rapid improvement of other nations.
“We are here with the mindset that we are going up against tough teams, everyone has been in an NRLW system,” said coach Jess Skinner, speaking to nrl.com.
“It’s going to be a lot tougher for us this year, but we are up for the challenge. I am really excited to see what Samoa does in this World Cup - what they did to the Kiwis in the last Pac Champs was very exciting.
“We know from experience that Samoa brings a massive crowd, and a sea of blue. It might not feel like a home game at times but we want to make sure there is green and yellow amongst them too.”
It’s sure to be a fascinating battle at CommBank Stadium in Sydney tonight, so let’s get into it!
Women's Rugby League World Cup
Rugby League World Cup 2026
Australia women's rugby league team
