The national women’s rugby team delivered a clinical 10-try attacking performance at Auckland’s Go Media Stadium, crushing Australia 66-19. In this official match report on the Black Ferns O’Reilly Cup clash, we break down how New Zealand extended their unbeaten streak against their trans-Tasman rivals to 31 consecutive Test matches.
Despite not playing a Test fixture since late April, the home side displayed seamless cohesion and ruthless execution from the opening whistle. As a result, the relentless tempo kept the visitors on the back foot throughout both halves.
Black Ferns O’Reilly First-Half Onslaught
New Zealand set the tone inside three minutes when skipper Ruahei Demant fired a wide pass for fullback Braxton Sorensen-McGee to cross in the right corner. Prop Chryss Viliko then powered over from close range to extend the advantage in this electrifying Black Ferns O’Reilly Cup encounter.
Moments later, lock Maama Mo’onia Vaipulu produced a sensational 35-metre line break, stepping past defenders to set up Demant beneath the crossbar. Loose forward Liana Mikaele-Tu’u crashed over for a fourth unanswered try, pushing the scoreline to 26-0. Australia finally responded on the stroke of halftime through a set-piece try by Desiree Miller, sending the teams into the break at 26-7.
“The forwards were destructive and urgent, establishing complete control over territory and set-piece platforms.”
Second-Half Wave and Debutants Impact
The home side resumed their dominance immediately after the restart. Lock Maia Roos touched down following a superb offload in contact from Vaipulu. Winger Ayesha Leti-I’iga showcased blistering pace down the left flank to score her 24th international try, before replacement Vici Rose-Green fought through tackles to extend the lead. Halfback Maia Joseph then sniped from the base of a ruck to push the score past 50 points.
With the outcome decided, the coaching staff introduced debutants Shyrah Tuliau-Tua’a and Amarante Sititi off the bench. Both players marked their international debuts with tries—Tuliau-Tua’a charging down a clearance kick and Sititi powering over beneath the posts to seal another memorable Black Ferns O’Reilly victory.
Supporters keeping track of upcoming series dates can view our full 2026 match schedule page. Ticketing details for future international fixtures are available on our rugby ticket information page. For head-to-head statistics across trans-Tasman fixtures, explore our analysis of the Black Ferns Wallaroos rivalry in numbers.
Scoring Summary: Black Ferns vs Wallaroos
Black Ferns 66 (Tries: Braxton Sorensen-McGee, Chryss Viliko, Ruahei Demant, Liana Mikaele-Tu’u, Maia Roos, Ayesha Leti-I’iga, Vici Rose-Green, Maia Joseph, Shyrah Tuliau-Tua’a, Amarante Sititi; Conversions: Sorensen-McGee 8)
Australia 19 (Tries: Desiree Miller, Waiaria Ellis, Brittany Merlo; Conversions: Miller 2)
Halftime Score: 26-7
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