Australia’s men’s and women’s rugby league sides enjoyed a (green and) gold run on opposite sides of the planet.
In England, the Kangaroos claimed an Ashes clean sweep with a 30-8 win over their hosts at Headingley in Leeds on Saturday.
In the Pacific Championships women’s final at Parramatta, the Jillaroos were too good for the Kiwi Ferns 40-8.
NRL website www.nrl.com.au reported that the visitors had to absorb plenty of pressure from the hosts early in the second half before a crucial try in the 61st minute.
That try swung the game in the Kangaroos’ favour as fullback Reece Walsh added two tries of his own in the final 10 minutes to secure the result.
Josh Addo-Carr opened the scoring with a converted try in the 6th minute. 6-0.
England then attacked the Kangaroos and it wasn’t until the 26th minute that the Kangaroos scored again with a try to Hudson Young. 12-0.
Seven minutes later, England replied with a converted try to George Williams. 12-6.
A penalty goal to England’s Harry Smith on halftime reduced the gap further. 12-8 at the break.
The hosts applied the pressure in the second half but in the 61st minute Australia’s Harry Grant scored a converted try. 18-8.
In the 69th minute, Walsh scored off an English fumble to score a converted try. 24-8.
In the 78th minute, Walsh scored again to wrap up the game 30-8.
Cameron Munster was named player of the series.
AUSTRALIA’S RUN CONTINUES
In the Pacific Championships women’s final, defending champions Australia were too good for the Kiwi Ferns as the scoreline read 40-8 at the end.
The Jillaroos started fast and never took their foot off the gas.
Meanwhile, in the men’s final, NZ gave Kieran Foran the perfect send-off with a 36-14 win over Samoa in the Pacific Championships final at Parramatta.
In his 34th and final Test match, Foran had a hand in everything as New Zealand stormed home in the second half after they trailed 14-6 at the break.
In the third international played at Parramatta, the Cook Islands won their 2026 RLWC qualifier with a 58-6 thumping of South Africa.
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