Australia beat New Zealand 24:22 in World Cup opener — BBC Sport

Australia’s rugby league team defeated New Zealand 24:22 in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup in Sydney, Australia. Jack Bostock scored the decisive try late in the game, completing a hat-trick in his debut match for the Australian team.

Hat-trick on debut

The score was level at 10:10 after the first half. New Zealand took the lead thanks to an early try by Casey McLean and were ahead for most of the match. However, the Australians fought back late in the game.

Bostock scored one try after an interception and two more by winning aerial contests following kicks from Cameron Munster. Tom Trbojevic and Reece Walsh also scored for Australia, with Walsh making two successful conversions.

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Ponga injury

For New Zealand, Kalyn Ponga scored two tries, while Casey McLean added another. Mark Isaeko made three successful conversions and kicked two penalties. Ponga left the field injured while the outcome of the match was still undecided, and his left arm was placed in a sling after the final whistle.

The match drew more than 40,000 fans and became the most attended rugby league Test match in Sydney in 50 years, BBC Sport reports. The outlet named Walsh the best player of the match: he stopped Ponga’s run in the first half and made a long break before scoring a try.