The Jillaroos have defended their Rugby League World Cup title, dominating New Zealand 34-10 in the tournament decider at Lang Park.
The victory was all but assured after a commanding first half, with winger Jaime Chapman crossing for a hat-trick in sweltering Brisbane heat.
The win saw Australia claim a fourth-straight crown in the fifth-consecutive final featuring the Trans-Tasman rivals.
Chapman, whose treble brought her World Cup tally to 13, told ABC Sport it was a dream afternoon for her side.
“I feel over the moon. There’s no better feeling than winning a World Cup on your turf, against the Kiwis as well.
“We knew it was coming. It was a really hard, tough game in this heat and super proud of our team and proud of our girls.”
Chapman scored a stunning treble in sweltering Brisbane heat. (Getty Images: Bradley Kanaris)
Lessons seemingly learnt from a lethargic start to their semifinal win over Fiji, the Jillaroos were dominant from the first minute in the tournament decider.
It took Chapman just two minutes to score the first try of the day by breaking wide, stutter stepping and rampaging through the New Zealand defence, allowing for the recalled Jesse Southwell to nail a difficult conversion.
A spectacular dive and one-handed putdown saw Chapman cross for her second in the 14th minute, before the winger put on the afterburners to complete her treble with a scintillating breakaway effort.
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By half-time, Australia had run in six tries to the Kiwi Ferns’ one, with Shaylee Best, Jess Sergis and Tamika Upton having also registered four-pointers, and Southwell having nailed all but one of the conversions.
Sergis’s effort came after a breathtaking breakaway, while Upton completed some neat interplay with Abbi Church to compound New Zealand’s misery in the shadows of half-time.
Shannon Mato’s 23rd-minute converted effort was the Kiwi Ferns’ only contribution to a 34-6 half-time scoreline.
Only a try-saving tackle prevented the Jillaroos from going further ahead five minutes after the break, but the Australians struggled for any cut through in an energy-sapping second half in which the still taxing conditions restricted the quality of play.
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New Zealand winger Mackenzie Wiki was denied a late score thanks to a try-saving Isabelle Kelly tackle, but proceeded to find the only points of the second period by diving over with the full-time siren seconds from sounding.
Their 4-0 second-half scoreline meant the Kiwi Ferns went the entire tournament without conceding a point after half-time.
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