Samoa crush Wales 76-0 with 14 tries to claim first World Cup win
A rampant Samoa scored 14 unanswered tries to thrash Wales 76-0 in Sydney, leaving the debutants without a point after two Pool A games at the Women's Rugby League World Cup.
Samoa ran in 14 tries without reply to beat Wales 76-0 in Sydney, securing their first win of the 2026 Women's Rugby League World Cup and leaving Wales with two defeats from two Pool A fixtures, according to BBC Rugby League.
The margin eclipsed Samoa's previous best World Cup victory, a 52-8 win over Russia in 2008, Yahoo Sports reported.
It was a response few had anticipated after Samoa had opened their campaign with a 40-0 loss to Australia, while Wales had arrived in the match many expected to offer their best chance of a first World Cup win, having been beaten by England in their own opener.
Wales began brightly and pushed Samoa back onto their own try line early on, forcing errors that briefly suggested another shock start was possible. Frank Pritchard's side absorbed the pressure, and Laikha Clarke opened the scoring with Samoa's first World Cup try in almost 18 years.
From there Wales could not live with Samoa's pace or power. Tries from Destiny Mino-Sinapati, Amber Hall and a brace from debutant Tyra Ekepati took the hosts to 28-0 inside 28 minutes, before further scores from Mercedez Taulelei-Siala and Ivana Loleiso made it 40-0 at the interval.
Wales had now shipped 40 first-half points in consecutive World Cup matches, and the second period brought no respite. Samoa captain Evana Isa'ako crossed for an eighth try shortly after the restart, with Monica Tahoai adding a ninth.
Mino-Siapati then produced what Yahoo Sports described as the game's most eye-catching moment, breaking clear for a long-distance score to complete her second try of the afternoon, before Taulelei-Siala added her own second three minutes later.
Freedom Crichton Ropati, the 18-year-old cousin of Stephen Crichton and sister-in-law of Brian To'o, scored her first World Cup try as Samoa continued to pull away. Ekepati completed her hat-trick late on, and Tavarna Papalii added a 14th try with 90 seconds remaining to close out the rout.
Piliae-Rasabale converted 10 of Samoa's tries.
The statistics underlined the gulf between the sides. Samoa gained more than 2,000 metres and made 21 line breaks, while Wales, playing only their 14th international fixture, failed to register a single line break of their own, per Yahoo Sports.
Samoa, ranked fifth in the world, now turn their attention to England, whom they face in Wollongong on Friday, 30 October. Wales close out their Pool A campaign against co-hosts and reigning champions Australia in Sydney on Sunday, 1 November, still searching for their first win at the tournament.