Australia defeated England 78-0 in Perth on October 24, 2026, during the Women’s Rugby League World Cup, scoring 15 tries in a lopsided Pool A match. The victory was marred by a tournament-ending broken wrist for Australian centre Julia Robinson, while England must face Samoa in a virtual elimination match.
The Australian Jillaroos delivered an unforgiving statement on Saturday night at Perth’s Women’s Rugby League World Cup fixture, dismantling England in a 78-0 demolition. Eleven different players crossed the try line for the reigning champions, who piled on 15 unanswered tries and dominated possession from the opening whistle. The reigning champions have now lost just one international match since 2016.
ANNIHILATION 🇦🇺#RLWC26 pic.twitter.com/1qytJNNTkd
Reality struck quickly for the English side after Lucy Murray was penalized for being two yards offside just one second into the match. Things deteriorated further when a botched restart sent the ball straight into touch, handing Australia easy territory that a clinical Jillaroos side seized without hesitation.
Jocelyn Kelleher Scores 26 Points in Australia Victory
Jaime Chapman opened the scoring early with a double inside the first five minutes. By halftime, Australia had built a commanding 36-0 lead, cutting through an overmatched English defense at will. During the first half, Abbi Church crossed the corner to extend the advantage to 36 points to nil.
Looking into the sun, the catch, and the try!Jaime Chapman 🔥#RLWC2026 pic.twitter.com/nz3yudwa1E
Jocelyn Kelleher orchestrated the attack with pinpoint kicking and passing while adding 26 individual points through two tries and nine goals, despite battling a difficult wind. Kelleher also delivered a swerving goal-kick that drew comparisons to Roberto Carlos.
Tamika Upton accumulated over 100 run metres before the 20-minute mark, constantly breaking through England’s defensive line. The second half brought more of the same, with Tarryn Aiken, Olivia Kernick, Quincy Dodd, Makenzie Weale, Tiana Penitani Gray, Isabelle Kelly, and Shaylee Bent all adding their names to the comprehensive try-scoring list.
Julia Robinson’s Tournament-Ending Wrist Injury
The dominant victory came at a heavy physical cost for Australia when center Julia Robinson suffered a broken wrist in the first half. Robinson had just scored her 20th career Test try before her left arm got pinned by a teammate, forcing her immediately from the pitch holding her arm in agony.
Sideline reporter Katie Brown confirmed the severity of the damage during the broadcast.
Kelleher with the chip-and-chase!A stunning Jillaroo's try.#RLWC2026 pic.twitter.com/D9aOqSUGtc
She will miss the remainder of the tournament.
Katie Brown, Seven sideline reporter
Former England international James Graham described the incident on commentary as awful news for Robinson there
and noted that it looked like friendly fire
.
Stuart Barrow Reflects on Youth Development and the 2030 World Cup Horizon
The result echoed England’s 90-4 defeat to Australia in Las Vegas in March 2025, where England had also trailed 38-0 at the break. Head coach Stuart Barrow pointed to a deliberate youth strategy aimed at the long term.
A convincing first 40 👊The second half is about to get underway 🏉Watch live on @PremSportsTV 📺#EnglandRL 🏴 pic.twitter.com/gB1C83PrLO
Barrow named 11 players aged 23 or under in his 17-player squad, leaning heavily on the DiSE programme established in 2019 to nurture post-school talent. The lineup featured 19-year-old half-backs Isabel Rowe and Jenna Foubister.
We are here to compete, but with a group like this we are hopefully bleeding them in for the 2030 World Cup.
Stuart Barrow, England head coach
Barrow acknowledged the sheer physical gap between part-time players and Australia’s professional NRLW athletes, noting that only three players in the English lineup featured in the NRLW while the rest managed full-time occupations away from the sport.
Samoa Showdown Determines England’s Semifinal Fate
With their qualification path now narrowed, England must travel to Wollongong for a virtual elimination final against Samoa next Friday, with kick-off scheduled for 6:45am. The winner of that fixture will secure a spot in the tournament semi-finals, while the loser will be eliminated.
Meanwhile, Australia will face Wales next week. Jillaroos coach Jess Skinner indicated she may rotate her squad to rest key players ahead of the knockout rounds.
Fans wishing to follow the tournament can watch live coverage through Premier Sports, which holds exclusive television rights for the competition, with subscriptions starting at £12.99 per month. Audio listeners can tune into BBC Radio Sports Extra.
Betting markets priced Australia as a $1.04 chance to retain the World Cup.