News · Sport · RNZ Pacific · Updated
Pacific island teams exit the Rugby League World Cup semifinals
All four Pacific island teams in the 2026 Rugby League World Cup semifinals lost over the weekend, so none reached the final. Players and coaches said the campaigns were among their best, and the future looks brighter.
By the W7PNG team · 2 min read · Source: RNZ Pacific
News summaries are written by W7PNG from the linked source. We never copy articles. Read the original for the full story.
All four Pacific island teams in the 2026 Rugby League World Cup semifinals lost their matches over the weekend, so none reached the final. Fetu Samoa, the Samoa women's side, lost to the New Zealand Kiwi Ferns on Friday night. Tonga fell short against the Kiwis on Saturday, and the Samoa men's team, Toa Samoa, lost to defending champions Australia.
The Fiji Bulikula, in their first women's World Cup, went down 30-14 to the Australian Jillaroos on Sunday night in Sydney but scored two tries. Captain Sereana Naitokatoka said the team was satisfied with its campaign and had aimed to enjoy the match against the best in the world. Coach Jone Wesele said the side had shown the rugby league world it was not there just to make up numbers.
Fiji had beaten Papua New Guinea and France in pool matches and narrowly lost its opening pool match to New Zealand. Reaching the semifinals means the team has also qualified for the next World Cup.
Key points
- All four Pacific teams lost their 2026 World Cup semifinals
- Fiji Bulikula lost 30-14 to the Jillaroos in Sydney
- Fiji beat Papua New Guinea and France in pool matches
Why it matters for PNG: Fiji's pool win over Papua New Guinea makes this World Cup run relevant to PNG rugby league fans.
Read the full story at RNZ Pacific
Published 9 November 2026 by RNZ Pacific. Summary by W7PNG. More Sport news.
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