Fiji Beat Papua New Guinea 40-4 for First World Cup Win

Fiji's Bulikula beat Papua New Guinea's Orchids 40-4 at Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby on Saturday, October 24, 2026. The result was Fiji's first win at a Women's Rugby League World Cup and the biggest win in the team's history. Fiji are playing in the tournament for the first time.

Fiji led 30-4 at halftime and kept Papua New Guinea scoreless in the second half. The Bulikula scored seven tries in total, five of them before the break, against a home side backed by a loud crowd in hot and draining conditions in the Papua New Guinea capital.

Marshall finishes a fast start

Sienna Laing put Fiji ahead after four minutes. Papua New Guinea replied soon after through hooker Ua Ravu, and for a short spell the match sat at one try each. Fiji then took control of the game and did not give it back.

Luisa Yaranamua scored Fiji's second try. Bench forward Lorren Ieli came on in the 20th minute and helped drive the surge that followed. Taina Naividi and Losana Lutu crossed before halftime, and Tahlia Marshall added the fifth Fiji try of the first half to make the score 30-4 at the break.

Marshall struck again in the 42nd minute, early in the second half. She completed her hat trick within the first ten minutes after halftime, taking her total to three tries for the match. Papua New Guinea held Fiji out for the rest of the game, but the Orchids could not add to the single try they scored in the first half.

What the result means

The win followed a narrow loss to New Zealand in Fiji's opening match last week. AAP reported that the result moved Fiji to the top of Pool B. Fiji now need one more win to reach the semi-finals in their first tournament.

Fiji play France next Saturday on the Gold Coast. A win in that match will secure a place in the knockout stages, according to the NRL match report and AAP.

For Papua New Guinea, the defeat puts a place in the semi-finals in doubt. The Orchids play New Zealand, the Kiwi Ferns, on the Gold Coast next week. New Zealand have never lost to the Orchids, and the heavy margin on Saturday hurt Papua New Guinea's points difference, which could decide the group places if teams finish level.