Arabic version: فوز أستراليا الكاسح في كأس العالم يثير تساؤلات حول البطولة

According to ABC News, Australia defeated Wales 124-6 in their final Women’s Rugby League World Cup group match at Parramatta Stadium, a result that set the record for the largest margin in women’s international rugby league history.

The Jillaroos led 60-0 at half-time after scoring 10 tries, while Wales played the ball 15 times in the opening half. Five-eighth Jesse Southwell finished with 44 points, and Jamie Chapman’s sixth try near full-time took Australia beyond France’s 116-0 win over Serbia in 2023.

Australia’s dominance was reflected in its defensive workload. The team did not make a tackle from the fifth minute until after the half-time siren, while halfback Tarryn Aiken did not make a tackle until 10 minutes before full-time. The sparse crowd booed after Australia’s 15th try, before cheering Wales second rower Paige Travis’s score, which made the score 100-6.

Wales had qualified for the tournament, but its squad included players from England’s women’s second division and a volunteer coaching staff. The report said several Welsh players had played only a handful of rugby league games before the tour. Australia now progresses to the semi-finals, while Wales leaves after confronting a side described as the world’s best by a wide margin.

The match renewed questions about uneven World Cup contests, attendance and whether such fixtures support development. The report noted that exposure to stronger teams has helped Samoa, Fiji and Papua New Guinea progress, but argued that the Wales result did not provide a comparable building block.