Australia outplayed New Zealand 32-12 at Brisbane’s Lang Park on Sunday to win the Rugby League World Cup for a 13th time, sealing a fourth successive title in front of 52,461 fans.
The Kangaroos, who had made a stuttering start to the tournament, were clinical when it mattered most. Second-rower Liam Martin crossed twice to help Australia open up a 24-6 lead by half-time, and two further tries after the break put the result beyond doubt.
Winger Jack Bostock was named player of the final after scoring two tries either side of half-time. His fellow winger Tom Trbojevic and centre Bradman Best also touched down, while five-eighth Cameron Munster kicked three conversions and a penalty.
New Zealand’s talented backline was kept largely quiet by a disciplined Australian defence. Centre Casey McLean scored the Kiwis’ only try before the break, and edge forward Isaiah Papali’i added a consolation in the 65th minute.
Kiwis fullback Kalyn Ponga, who made a remarkable return after breaking his arm in the tournament opener and was named the world’s best rugby league player on Thursday, had few chances to show his class.
“Just a disappointing performance,” Ponga said. “I think credit to them. Obviously, they played a better style of footy. I thought they moved the ball well, and we just made too many errors to defend. We worked so hard and we built throughout the weeks for this moment, and it didn’t come together.”
Australia captain Isaah Yeo was delighted with the performance. “We had such confidence in what we could achieve, and I was just happy we could have our best performance tonight,” he said. “World champs for the next four years!”
The one-sided final was an anticlimactic end to a tournament that revived the World Cup concept, thanks in large part to the performances and fans of Pacific island nations Samoa and Tonga, the losing semi-finalists.
Yeo said it had been the best edition of the tournament yet. “This whole tournament’s been incredible. Not just the fans here tonight for New Zealand and Australia, but just everyone. I thought it was all outstanding,” he said. “I think it’s to date the most competitive and the best World Cup there’s been. I think that’s only going to continue to grow.”
Earlier in the day, Australia’s Jillaroos beat New Zealand’s Kiwi Ferns 34-10 at the same stadium to win a fourth straight women’s World Cup, with winger Jaime Chapman scoring a hat-trick. England won the wheelchair title on Friday, beating France 50-38 in Wollongong.
The next edition, in 2030, will be played in a series of “Magic Rounds” in five cities across the Pacific and the United States, again organised by the Australian Rugby League Commission.
Sources: Reuters — https://www.reuters.com/sports/rugby-league-clinical-australia-dominate-new-zealand-win-world-cup-13th-time-2026-11-15/
