Australia edge New Zealand in epic World Cup opener
Summary
Australia won a close rugby league match against New Zealand in the first game of the 2026 World Cup, held in Sydney. Jack Bostock scored three tries for Australia, helping them recover from behind and win 24-22.Key Facts
- Australia beat New Zealand 24-22 in the opening match of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.
- Jack Bostock scored three tries in his first game for Australia.
- The match was played in front of more than 40,000 fans, the biggest rugby league Test crowd in Sydney for 50 years.
- New Zealand’s Casey McLean scored an early try and Kalyn Ponga scored two tries before leaving injured.
- Reece Walsh was named player of the match for his strong defense and a key try.
- New Zealand led for most of the game but made mistakes that let Australia score late tries.
- The win shows Australia’s strength as defending champions aiming for their 13th World Cup title.
- The match featured a notable rivalry between two top full-backs, Reece Walsh (Australia) and Kalyn Ponga (New Zealand).
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