Women's Rugby League World Cup - Australia 78-0 England: Humiliating Defeat for England
BBC Sport
Australia (36) 78
Tries:
- Chapman 2
- Kelleher 2
- Church 2
- Kelly 2
- Robinson
- Aiken
- Kernick
- Dodd
- Weale
- Penitani Gray
- Bent
Goals:
- Kelleher 9
England (0) 0
After talk of lessons learned, England suffered another crushing defeat against Australia, extending the gap between the sides. This follows a 90-4 thrashing in Las Vegas in 2025.
The game began with England conceding a penalty just one second in, setting the tone for their performance. Australia quickly took control, leading 36-0 at halftime.
England's passive play, weak tackling, and questionable body language highlighted the extent of their struggles. Only six players from the Las Vegas game returned, but little has changed in terms of quality.
Australia's dominance was evident from the kick-off, with England making errors and giving away possession. This led to multiple tries for the Jillaroos, who showed off their skills.
Kelleher's impressive kicking and running contributed significantly to Australia's victory, with her nine goals adding to the scoreline.
In the second half, Australia continued to dominate, scoring further tries to bring up a humiliating total of 78 unanswered points. England's efforts to limit the damage were in vain, as Australia's pace and skill proved too much to handle.