Australia beat Wales 124-6 to set Rugby League World Cup record

Australia defeated Wales 124-6 in Sydney at the women's Rugby League World Cup, in a result reported on 1 November, setting a tournament record for winning margin. Jaime Chapman scored six tries as Australia advanced to a semi-final against Fiji.¹²⁴

Australia build a 60-point half-time lead

Australia led 60-0 at the interval, with Chapman already having scored three tries. The BBC described that half-time total as the highest in either a men's or women's World Cup match. Wales had completed only five sets of tackles by that stage, according to the Guardian.¹²⁴

Olivia Kernick scored after an offload from Makenzie Weale. Australia later reached 100 points through a Tamika Upton breakaway followed by Jesse Southwell's conversion, the BBC reported. Chapman added her sixth try in the final minute, while Jess Sergis finished the match with four.¹²

The Guardian's match statistics showed the difference between the teams beyond the scoreboard. Australia covered more than 2,000 metres with the ball, almost 10 times Wales's distance, the newspaper reported. It counted 22 line breaks for Australia and none for Wales, alongside 56 tackle breaks against one.²

Wales score through Travis

Paige Travis scored Wales's only try, with 10 minutes remaining, according to the Guardian. The BBC reported that Wales thereby became the first team to score against Australia in this tournament. Wales had previously lost 70-6 to England and 76-0 to Samoa, the Guardian said.¹²⁴

Wales captain Bethan Dainton had made 77 tackles across the first two rounds, the highest total in the tournament, according to the BBC. Discussing the team's participation, she said: "We just wanted to create a legacy back home for young girls coming through, and I think we did that."¹

A new World Cup benchmark

Australia surpassed the 92 points they scored without reply against France in the 2022 World Cup. AFP reported that New Zealand had matched that earlier tournament record against France the previous week. Australia are seeking a fourth consecutive World Cup title, according to the agency.¹²³

The BBC and the Guardian described the 124-point total as the highest score in an international rugby league match. The BBC also called the 118-point margin the largest in a women's match. That is distinct from the overall international winning-margin record: the Guardian said France's men retained it with their 120-0 victory over Serbia in 2003.¹²