From Shared Rehab to Opposite Sides: Aiken and Naividi Meet in World Cup Semi-Final

A year ago, Tarryn Aiken and Taina Naividi were side by side in rehabilitation, both nursing torn anterior cruciate ligament injuries and watching helplessly as their Sydney Roosters side suffered a heartbreaking first loss of the season in the NRLW grand final. Next Sunday they will be on opposite sides of a World Cup semi-final, when Australia meet Fiji at Allianz Stadium for a place in the decider. Naividi's road back has been the longer one. She ruptured her ACL for a second time in the days leading up to the 2025 NRLW grand final, fought her way back onto the field in Round 5 of the NRLW season, and has since helped Fiji reach a World Cup semi-final in the island nation's tournament debut. Aiken, who has shared club success with Naividi since their recoveries, has been impressed by how her former rehab partner has shone in a Fijian jersey. Fiji earned their semi-final place with a 54-6 win over France, while Samoa beat England 24-6 and New Zealand overcame Papua New Guinea 40-12 to set up the other semi-final. For Naividi, the match is about more than a final berth: she has spoken of showing the way for young kids who dream of being part of something like this. For Aiken and the Jillaroos, it is a warning that Fiji's fairytale is built on genuine quality, not sentiment.