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Wales hit by Australia century in World Cup record defeat

Q: What is this sports story about?

Wales women concede 21 tries in Sydney as defending Rugby League World Cup champions Australia rewrite the international record books.

Q: Who published this story?

This story was published by BBC Sport on November 1, 2026 and curated on Africa Front.

Q: What related topics does this story cover?

African Football, Trade & AfCFTA, Infrastructure, African Sports

November 1, 2026

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Wales hit by Australia century in World Cup record defeat

Published8 hours ago

Australia (60) 124

Tries: Kernick, Chapman 6, Church 2, Southwell, Sergis 4, Apps, Paki, Joseph 2, Upton 2, Nizza Goals: Southwell 20

Wales (0) 6

Tries: Travis Goals: Preston

Rampant Australia racked up the biggest score in international history as they hammered Wales in a Rugby League World Cup mismatch.

The Jillaroos, hunting a fourth successive title, ran in 21 tries in a predictably lopsided contest in Sydney.

The half-time score of 60-0 was the biggest of any World Cup match - men's or women's - and the Australians kept their foot down to win 124-6.

Wing Jaime Chapman's sixth try in the last minute ensured they beat Denmark men's biggest international score of 122-8 against Sweden in 2012.

The 118-point victory margin is the largest in any women's match, although France men retain their record win set in 2003 with a 120-0 rout of Serbia.

Yet there were wild Wales celebrations when, at 100-0 down, they became the first side to score against the Jillaroos in the tournament through Paige Travis.

Rugby League World Cup

15 October - 15 November

Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand

Listen to live commentary on every men's match, and key women's matches - with coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app

The Jillaroos are three-time back-to-back champions, while Wales were taking part in the tournament for the first time having only played their first Test in 2021.

It was just their 16th fixture - and a first against Australia - with Tom Brindle's side having already been beaten 70-6 by England and 76-0 by Samoa at the World Cup.

Full of NRLW talent, Australia showed a killer instinct and an intensity that Wales were exposed to for the first time.

It all came after Wales, whose captain Bethan Dainton was the tournament's top tackler by a distance in the first two rounds with 77, rose to the occasion with a strong start.

But Australia struck in the sixth minute through lock Olivia Kernick following prop Makenzie Weale's terrific offload out the back, and the Jillaroos then clicked into gear.

Long-striding, hard-fending Chapman scored a double down the left and fellow wing Abbi Church powered through weak tackles on the right.

Wales were unable to string together good moments and a fifth try came through Jesse Southwell from failure to claim a regulation high ball just seconds after Jade Mullen had put in a huge tackle.

Australia were ruthless and the scores kept coming through centre Jessica Sergis, second row Kezie Apps and Chapman for a first-half hat-trick.

Sergis brought up the half-century with a weaving run and was followed over by second row Sariah Paki.

The stats told the story - Australia had 84% of possession in the first half and completed 21 of 22 sets, with almost 13 minutes of possession to two minutes and 29 seconds.

It took just over a minute for Keilee Joseph to get the scoreboard ticking after the restart and the scores kept coming from Sergis, Chapman, Joseph again and Church.

The Jillaroos beat their 92-0 record, set against France in the 2022 World Cup, when Southwell converted Sergis' fourth try, hitting three figures when the extras were added to star full-back Tamika Upton's breakaway.

Wales' moment came when Travis, scorer of their historic try against England, won the race to Tayla Preston's kick through.

It was only a brief change of pattern with Keeley Nizza, Chapman twice and Upton going over to complete the destruction.

Wales captain Bethan Dainton said:

"We just wanted to create a legacy back home for young girls coming through, and I think we did that. The scorelines haven't been in our favour but no one gave up and I am so proud of the girls."