Australia have begun the defence of their women’s Rugby League World Cup title with a 40-0 win over Fetu Samoa in western Sydney on Friday night, and Jocelyn Kelleher was player of the match on her debut.
Kelleher played five-eighth, kicked six from seven conversion attempts and had a hand in two tries, The Guardian reported. Coach Jess Skinner had left Ali Brigginshaw out of the squad and Jesse Southwell out of the matchday 18.
Australia are three-time defending champions, according to ABC News. Samoa were playing their first World Cup match since 2008, The Guardian reported.
“Her kicking game was amazing. And she took her opportunities when she had them as well,” Skinner said of Kelleher, ABC News reported.
Kelleher said her debut was “amazing” and that the team is “having so much fun in camp, we’re training well together”, The Guardian reported.
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How the Tries Came
Samoa had early repeat sets on the Australian line and twice turned down a shot at goal from penalties, The Guardian reported, before fullback Destiny Mino-Sinapati dropped the ball.
Jaime Chapman scored first from a Tamika Upton cut-out pass, according to The Guardian. Julia Robinson was next, coming inside rather than heading for the corner and taking three tacklers over. Shaylee Bent’s try followed a Kelleher bomb that forced a Samoan error, then Keely Nizza scored, and Olivia Kernick crossed just before half-time.
Australia led 28-0 at the break and scored just two tries after it, ABC News reported. Keilee Joseph scored early in the second half and Jess Sergis late, according to The Guardian. All seven tries were scored by different players, ABC News reported.
Late on, teenage winger Freedom Crichton Ropati made a crunching tackle on Tiana Penitani Gray, The Guardian and ABC News reported.
Samoa’s side included two former Jillaroos, Taliah Fuimaono and Evania Isa’ako, The Guardian reported.
Tears streamed down the Fetu Samoa players’ faces during the anthem, ABC News reported. ABC News quoted Samoa coach Frank Pritchard: “We spoke about pride in the jersey and what it takes to be here, sea of blue, effort on effort, and definitely showed that in the second half”.
Empty Seats in Western Sydney
The earlier men’s game, Samoa against France, drew 13,174 fans, mostly from western Sydney’s Samoan community, and many of them left at the end of it, ABC News reported. Samoa’s men won that match 78-4, according to The Guardian.
Few supporters were left by the end of the women’s game, and tens of thousands of seats were empty, ABC News and The Guardian reported. Pritchard suggested the late 8pm kick-off did not help, according to ABC News. Captain Isabelle Kelly was less concerned with the crowd than with what the team set out to achieve, ABC News reported.
“Let’s get around women in sport, right? All women in sport, and particularly this Rugby League World Cup. We’ve got a lot of talented women across all of the teams,” Skinner said, according to ABC News.
ABC News also quoted her: “Stay and support that and the growth. Something really cool is happening in this generation of sport with our ladies, and you’re going to miss it.”
England Next, in Perth
Australia’s next pool match is against England in Perth next week, The Guardian reported. More results are in our Sports section.
Sources: The Guardian, “Australia cruise past Samoa in women’s Rugby League World Cup opener”, 16 October 2026 (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/oct/16/australia-samoa-womens-rugby-league-world-cup-match-report); ABC News, “Jillaroos lived up to their end of the bargain, but fans need to follow”, 17 October 2026 (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-17/jillaroos-samoa-rugby-league-world-cup/107277782)
