Australia Beat New Zealand 32-12 to Win Rugby League World Cup 2026
Australia defeated New Zealand 32-12 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on November 15, 2026, to win a fourth straight men's Rugby League World Cup. Jack Bostock scored twice and took player of the match, while the Kiwis missed 37 tackles.
Australia beat New Zealand 32-12 in the men's Rugby League World Cup final at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Sunday, November 15, 2026, to claim a fourth consecutive world title. It is the Kangaroos' 13th men's crown at the rugby league World Cup 2026.
Jack Bostock and Liam Martin starred. Bostock scored two tries and was named player of the match.
Early blow, then control
The hosts needed 95 seconds to score. Martin carried three New Zealand defenders over the line from the kick-off.
New Zealand answered about ten minutes later. Casey McLean took a chest pass from Kodi Nikorima and darted over from close range.
Australia then pulled away. Reece Walsh and Bradman Best flicked the ball out to Bostock, who crossed in the corner. Best scored next after Tom Dearden pulled in several defenders and passed wide, and Best wrong-footed another defender to find a big gap.
Tom Trbojevic scored three minutes into the second half after Walsh danced past several defenders and offloaded to him. Martin and Trbojevic both crossed around half-time.
Kiwis fade in defense
New Zealand improved after the break. Ronaldo Mulitalo had a try chalked off for a knock-on in the build-up. Isaiah Papali'i then gathered a grubber kick from Nikorima to score with 14 minutes left.
Australia finished it. Bostock took a back-hand offload from Best in the corner for his second try.
James Fisher-Harris' side missed 37 tackles. Walsh and Best tore through the Kiwi line. New Zealand had been chasing their first World Cup since 2008.
What the players said
"I can't put it into words. It's unbelievable," Bostock said. "We were written off early in the tournament, and probably didn't play our best games."
He said the team had shown glimpses a week earlier and "put it all together on the big stage" in the final.
New Zealand full-back Kalyn Ponga was blunt. "It's pretty disappointing," he said. "Credit to them, they played a better style of footy, and we made too many errors."
How the tournament built
Australia started slowly. They edged New Zealand 24-22 in the opening game in October. They then beat Samoa 44-12 in the semi-final, with Walsh scoring a hat-trick.
New Zealand reached the final by beating Tonga 34-10. Ponga played that semi-final just 23 days after breaking his arm.
James Tedesco was first named as a reserve for the final. He was drafted into the squad when Latrell Mitchell pulled out through illness. Tedesco has confirmed his international retirement.
The Jillaroos also completed a four-peat of World Cup titles on Sunday. They beat New Zealand's women 34-10 earlier in the day.
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