Jillaroos open Women's League World Cup against debutants Samoa

The Jillaroos begin the defence of their Women's Rugby League World Cup title against debutants Fetu Samoa at CommBank Stadium in Sydney on 16 October 2026. The Round 1 fixture is the opening game of the women's competition, RLWC 2026 lists.

Australia's women's rugby league side are known as the Jillaroos. They won the 2022 World Cup. Jess Skinner is the coach and Isabelle Kelly is the captain, The Guardian and NRL.com report.

Rugby league is the 13-a-side code. Teams get six tackles to push upfield before they must hand the ball over. A try, touching the ball down over the try-line, scores four points.

Samoa's women are known as Fetu Samoa. They are debutants at the 2026 Rugby League World Cup. Their squad includes eight players from the Gold Coast Titans, one of the clubs in the NRLW, Australia's elite women's league competition.

Kelly leads a settled Australian group. Centre Jessica Sergis made her Jillaroos debut in 2019. Playmaker Jocelyn Kelleher was named in the 23-player World Cup squad, NRL.com and NRL.com report.

The match is part of a double-header at CommBank Stadium. Toa Samoa, the Samoan men's team, face France in the earlier game. The 2026 Rugby League World Cup is hosted across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, with Australia staging the bulk of the matches.

The women's opener follows the men's tournament opener. Australia beat New Zealand 24-22 at Allianz Stadium on 15 October 2026. Winger Jack Bostock scored three tries for the hosts, The Guardian reports.

Supporters who saw Australia meet Samoa last year will notice a different game. Australia beat Samoa 73-0 in the Women's Rugby World Cup pool stage at Salford Stadium in Manchester in August 2025. That was rugby union, the 15-a-side code with contested rucks, scrums and lineouts for possession.

For fans, this means a clean starting point. The champions get to set the pace. The newcomers get a full-volume introduction with nothing to lose.