New Zealand beat Samoa 32-0 to book Women's Rugby League World Cup final place

New Zealand secured a place in the Women's Rugby League World Cup final with a 32-0 victory over Samoa in Newcastle on Saturday, November 7. The Kiwi Ferns led 8-0 at half-time and added 24 unanswered points after the interval, extending their unbeaten campaign into the tournament's deciding match.

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Stacey Waaka scored three tries, according to Agence France-Presse's match report published by the Guardian. The centre was also named player of the match. New Zealand's eight-point advantage at the break became a much wider winning margin in the second half, while Samoa finished without a point in either period.

The semi-final brought together the winners of Group B and the runners-up in Group A. International Rugby League's account of their routes to Newcastle recorded three consecutive group-stage wins for New Zealand. Samoa had reached the knockout round after beating England 24-6 in their previous match, but could not follow that result with another victory.

New Zealand's final pool outing had also featured a strong second half. According to New Zealand Rugby League's report, the Kiwi Ferns beat Papua New Guinea 40-12 on the Gold Coast after holding a 14-12 lead at the interval. They kept their opponents scoreless after the break in that match, too, turning a close contest into a comfortable win.

That performance provided contributions across the side. Mackenzie Wiki and Abigail Roache each scored twice against Papua New Guinea, while Apii Nicholls was named player of the match after recording two try assists and 200 running metres. NZRL reported that New Zealand made 11 line breaks to their opponents' one, illustrating the attacking platform they had established before the knockout stage began.

The Kiwi Ferns now await the outcome of Australia's semi-final against Fiji on Sunday, November 8. Tournament organisers confirmed that fixture for Allianz Stadium in Sydney as part of a double-header also featuring the Australian and Samoan men's teams. The women's final is scheduled for Brisbane on November 15; Saturday's result settles New Zealand's participation, with their opponents still to be determined.