New Zealand's Ferns narrowly beat Fiji in World Cup opener

New Zealand's Ferns were forced to battle hard for a 18-12 victory over debutants Fiji in their Women's Rugby League World Cup opener in Newcastle ^[1]. The win marked the first time the Ferns have trailed at half-time in a World Cup match, trailing 12-4 before narrowing the gap to 12-10 at the break.

Fiji’s breakthrough came after 21 minutes when skipper Sereana Naitokatoka made a clever dummy half run to set up Losana Lutu for the first try in a Women’s Rugby League World Cup match by a Fijian side ^[1]. Sienna Laing extended the lead five minutes later, putting the game in serious jeopardy for the defending contenders.

Stacey Waaka scored twice for New Zealand, including a second-half try that brought them level, but Fiji’s defence held firm until the final minutes ^[1]. Raecene McGregor’s cross-field kick eventually found Leianne Tufuga to seal the win, with Zehara Temara converting the decisive penalty.

Coach Ricky Henry admitted his side’s performance was far from their standard, stating, "We went away from what we were meant to do, so we are a little disappointed there. Rustiness is not an excuse" ^[1]. Player Georgia Hale echoed the sentiment, calling the early performance "ill-disciplined, untidy play" and noting that the team lost control before regaining it through effort.

Fiji, who have never before reached a Women’s Rugby League World Cup final, are now set to face Papua New Guinea in their next fixture ^[1]. The men’s team also began their campaign with a 40-12 win over Cook Islands, scoring seven unanswered tries.

New Zealand’s next match is against France in Christchurch, while Fiji aim to upset reigning champions Australia in their upcoming clash ^[1]. The story was first reported by BBC News.