Australia delivered a dominant performance against Wales in a Rugby League World Cup encounter, establishing multiple scoring records in the lopsided contest held in Sydney.
The Jillaroos, seeking their fourth consecutive title, accumulated 21 tries across the match. The half-time margin of 60-0 represented the largest score achieved at any point in World Cup play, across both men’s and women’s competitions. Australia ultimately prevailed 124-6, with the 118-point victory margin marking the largest differential in any women’s match to date. The final score surpassed Denmark’s men’s record international victory of 122-8 against Sweden in 2012, though France men retain the largest shutout victory with a 120-0 result from 2003.
Wales, making their tournament debut and having played only 16 Test matches since their first contest in 2021, provided limited resistance to the well-developed Australian squad filled with National Rugby League Women talent. The visitors had already suffered defeats of 70-6 to England and 76-0 to Samoa earlier in the competition. Australia controlled possession heavily, holding the ball for approximately 13 minutes during the first half compared to Wales’ two minutes and 29 seconds, while completing 21 of 22 sets.
Notably, Wales secured a moment of pride when Paige Travis scored a try while trailing 100-0, becoming the first player to cross the Australian line in the tournament. Captain Bethan Dainton, who led her team in tackles throughout the early rounds, emphasized that the squad aimed to establish a legacy for younger players developing the sport domestically, despite the unfavorable scorelines encountered.
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