Kiwi Ferns Beat Samoa 32-0 to Reach Seventh Straight World Cup Final

New Zealand beat Samoa 32-0 in the first Women's Rugby League World Cup semi-final in Newcastle on Saturday, November 7, 2026. The Kiwi Ferns ran in seven tries, led 8-0 at half time, and reached the final without conceding a point.

Stacey Waaka was the clear match winner. She scored a hat-trick of tries and set up another try for New Zealand. AAP reported that Waaka crossed for three tries as the Kiwi Ferns secured their place in the final, running away late with four tries in the final 12 minutes.

Seven tries and a shutout

Mackenzie Wiki scored the opening try in the second minute. The full scoreline lists tries for Wiki, Waaka with three, Mele Hufanga, Kaiyah Atai and Raecene McGregor, with Chantay Kiria-Ratu kicking two goals. That made seven tries in total for New Zealand and a final score of 32-0, after the half time score of New Zealand 8, Samoa 0.

Samoa could not turn their return to this stage into a closer contest. Samoa were playing at their first World Cup since 2008, and Fox Sports Australia recorded 15 errors for Samoa in the match. Those errors, and the early Wiki try, left Samoa chasing the game from the start.

The match was played at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle, New South Wales, in blustery and stormy conditions, with lightning in the second half. New Zealand handled those conditions better and finished the stronger side, with the late run of four tries in the final 12 minutes turning a controlled win into a shutout.

A seventh final in a row

It is New Zealand's seventh successive Women's Rugby League World Cup final. AFP reported that New Zealand won the tournament in 2000, 2003 and 2008 and lost the next three finals, all to Australia. AAP reported that New Zealand lost the previous final to Australia 54-4, a result that sets the scale of the task that may wait in Brisbane.

New Zealand will face the winner of Sunday's second semi-final between Australia and Fiji in the final on November 15 in Brisbane. If Australia win that semi-final, the final will be another meeting between the two sides that have decided the recent finals. If Fiji win, New Zealand will face a new final opponent, but the Kiwi Ferns will start as the side that has just won a semi-final 32-0.

For Samoa, the tournament ends at the semi-final stage. Their first World Cup since 2008 ended with a heavy defeat, no points scored, and 15 errors against a New Zealand side that took its chances in the second minute and again late in the match.

For New Zealand, the numbers from Newcastle are plain. Seven tries, two goals from Kiria-Ratu, three tries from Waaka, a clean sheet in defence, and a place in the final on November 15 in Brisbane.