Waaka's Hat-Trick Sends Kiwi Ferns Into World Cup Final as Samoa Are Shut Out 32-0

It took Stacey Waaka two minutes to announce herself, and by the end of the afternoon in Newcastle she had done it three times over. The Kiwi Ferns are going back to a Women's Rugby League World Cup final, and they got there the emphatic way — 32-0 against a Samoa side that refused to fold until the very end. The semi-final, played in front of a strong wind and under gathering storm clouds at McDonald Jones Stadium, began exactly as New Zealand would have wanted. Mackenzie Wiki dived over in the corner in the second minute, and the Ferns had a 4-0 lead before Samoa had settled. But anyone expecting a rout from that point on was mistaken. Samoa, playing in their first World Cup semi-final, dug in. Their defence was physical, their kick-chase was committed, and midway through the first half they were the ones camped in New Zealand territory, forcing repeat sets and asking questions the Ferns had to answer. The answers came from the boot of captain Raecene McGregor. Her short chip to the try line bounced on its point, and Waaka — leaping above everyone — came down with the ball and the try. It was the kind of piece of skill that changes a game, and it arrived just as a blustery weather front rolled in, shaking the goalposts and making goalkicking a lottery. The Ferns went in 8-0 up at the break, ahead but not comfortable. They did not stay uncomfortable for long. Five minutes into the second half, McGregor and Waaka combined again — a deft cross-field kick from the halfback landing in the centre's arms for her second try, and the lead was fourteen. Samoa kept throwing the ball around, desperate for a way back, but the execution deserted them at the worst moments: forward passes at critical times, fifteen errors across the afternoon, and a New Zealand defence that never once cracked. By the hour mark it was over as a contest. Mele Hufanga, who had been running rampant all afternoon, and second-rower Kaiya Atai scored in back-to-back sets to seal it. Then Waaka completed her hat-trick, finishing off a flying flick pass from Annessa Biddle, before McGregor capped her own superb afternoon with a try of her own. Thirty-two points, none conceded, and a fourth World Cup final within reach. Waaka was named player of the match, and the numbers backed it up: three tries, 131 metres gained, two line breaks, two line-break assists, a try assist and three tackle breaks. Her hat-trick also drew her level with Australia winger Jaime Chapman on nine tries for the tournament. New Zealand will play the final in Brisbane next Sunday, 15 November, against the winner of Sunday's second semi-final between Australia and debutants Fiji in Sydney. The Ferns will be chasing a fourth title — and, if it is Australia waiting for them, a measure of revenge. The Jillaroos have beaten New Zealand in the last three finals, the most recent a 54-4 rout in 2021. On this evidence, the Ferns will not be going to Brisbane to make up the numbers.