Black Ferns Crush Wallaroos 66-19 in Australia's 100th Test Milestone
New Zealand ran in ten tries to overpower Australia 66-19 at Auckland's Go Media Stadium, spoiling the Wallaroos' 100th Test match with a performance that never let the visitors settle.
The Black Ferns — New Zealand's women's rugby union team — crossed for four unanswered tries from the opening whistle, racing into a lead that Australia never looked like overhauling. Fly-half Waiaria Ellis briefly gave the Wallaroos a foothold, setting up winger Desiree Miller for a score that trimmed the deficit to 26-7 by half-time, but the second period brought only more of the same (The Guardian).
New Zealand scored five consecutive tries after the break against an Australian defence that had no answer. Teenage debutant Shyrah Tuliau-Tua'a crossed in the 63rd minute after a charge-down — when a kicked ball is blocked by an onrushing defender — and fellow debutant Amarante Sititi completed the scoring to secure the O'Reilly Cup, the trophy contested between the two nations. Black Ferns lock Maama Mo'onia Vaipulu was shown a yellow card (a ten-minute sin-bin) during the match, but the numerical disadvantage barely dented New Zealand's momentum.
For Australia, there were glimpses worth holding onto. Ellis scored a try of her own after selling a dummy to the defence, and interchange forward Brittany Merlo drove over from a rolling maul — a set-piece play where forwards bind together and drive the ball forward — with seven minutes left. Rugby sevens star Maddison Levi, coming off the bench in the 51st minute for her Wallaroos debut, collected five from five restarts, an immediate statement of her aerial quality. Fellow debutant Pia Tapsell also earned her first cap.
The result extends a lopsided record. New Zealand had won all 29 previous meetings between the two sides, and Australia have not beaten the Black Ferns since their first encounter in 1994 — a winless run stretching 32 years. New Zealand also won the inaugural Anzac Day Test between the teams in April 2026 and had scored 30 or more points in each of their last seven meetings with the Wallaroos, according to Rugby Australia's preview data. This was the Black Ferns' first home Test of 2026, and the victory reclaimed the Pacific Four trophy, the world number two ranking, and the O'Reilly Cup.
Wallaroos captain Siokapesi Palu Sekona was blunt in her assessment, telling reporters the team was not pleased with its performance on a landmark occasion. Australia finished last in the Pacific Four Series earlier in the year and now face a steep climb in September's WXV Global Series, where they will play England, France and Scotland — three of the world's top sides.
The match was the first leg of a double-header at Go Media Stadium, with the All Blacks and Wallabies following at 7:35pm. For Australian rugby, the afternoon offered a reminder of the gap that still exists to the world's best, even as individual debutants suggested brighter days may lie ahead.
