In a historic, lopsided 2024 Rugby League World Cup fixture hosted in Sydney, the Australian women’s national rugby league side, the Jillaroos, etched their name into the sport’s record books with a staggering 124-6 triumph over tournament debutants Wales, marking the highest ever score posted in any senior international rugby league match across men’s and women’s divisions. The reigning three-time consecutive world champions, who entered the contest on an unbroken run of World Cup wins, ran in 21 total tries across the 80 minutes, surpassing the previous all-time international high of 122 points set by the Danish men’s side against Sweden back in 2012. The opening half ended with an unprecedented 60-0 scoreline, the largest half-time margin recorded across any men’s or women’s World Cup fixture in tournament history, as Australia dominated possession to an extreme 84% share, completing 21 out of 22 attacking sets and controlling play for nearly 13 minutes compared to Wales’ mere 2 minutes and 29 seconds on the ball. Wales, who only fielded their first ever senior test side in 2021 and were competing in just their 16th international match ever, entered the contest already reeling from heavy prior defeats to England (70-6) and Samoa (76-0) at the tournament, but mounted a surprisingly resolute opening stretch led by captain Bethan Dainton, who had notched a tournament-leading 77 tackles across the first two rounds of group play. The deadlock broke in the sixth minute, when Australian lock Olivia Kernick capitalised on a brilliant offload from prop Makenzie Weale to cross for the opening try, after which the Jillaroos’ stacked roster of NRLW elite talent shifted into ruthless, high-tempo gear. Winger Jaime Chapman put on a career-defining masterclass, notching six tries in total including a first-half hat-trick, while centre Jessica Sergis crossed for four tries, halfback Jesse Southwell slotted 20 successful conversions, and additional tries came from Abbi Church (two), Keilee Joseph (two), Tamika Upton (two), Sariah Paki, Kezie Apps and Keeley Nizza. Even as the scoreline ballooned to 100-0 in Australia’s favour, the travelling Welsh side earned a landmark, wildly celebrated moment when winger Paige Travis chased down a clever grubber kick from halfback Tayla Preston to dot down, making Wales the very first team to score against the Jillaroos in the entire World Cup campaign. The 118-point winning margin stands as the largest ever recorded in a women’s international rugby league fixture, though the French men’s side still holds the all-time overall record for a winning margin, after their 120-0 shutout of Serbia in 2003. Speaking after the full-time whistle, Wales captain Dainton emphasized the historic significance of her side’s maiden World Cup run: “We just wanted to create a legacy back home for young girls coming through, and I think we did that. The scorelines haven’t been in our favour but no one gave up and I am so proud of the girls.” The 2024 Rugby League World Cup runs from October 15 to November 15, hosted across Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, with full live audio coverage of all men’s fixtures and key women’s matches available via BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport digital platforms.