Ruthless Ferns flatten French at Women's Rugby League World Cup

Ruthless. Merciless. Ominous.The KIwi Ferns have put the Rugby League World Cup on notice with a 92-0 demolition of France.It was nothing short of a 70-minute slaughter under the roof in Christchurch, as the Ferns ran riot against little French resistance.Hat tricks for Stacey Waaka, Apii Nicolls, and Mele Hufanga were among the 18 tries scored, New Zealand delivering a rugby league lesson to utterly humiliate the French.A late injury call-up to the squad, winger Mackenzie Wiki opened the scoring as the Ferns showcased some slick hands through the backline.Eating up the metres at will through some damaging carries from Ivana Lauitiiti and Alexis Tauaneai, the Kiwi Ferns were in again through fullback Apii Nicholls.Debutant Chantay Kiria-Ratu got her first test try as she pirouetted through some feeble French defence and slammed it on the chalk.Nicolls stuck for her second on the next set, exploding onto a grubber through from her skipper Raecene McGregor.The captain was next to get on the scoresheet with a beautiful show and go, McGregor far to quick for the cover as she dashed away for her side's fifth.Mele Hufanga was at her dominant best with ball in hand.© Photosport Ltd 2026 www.photosport.nzIt was another of the big names scoring the sixth, Stacey Waaka showcasing her class with a fend and step and a swerve.Out-scoring the clock, Mele Hufanga took a deft inside ball from Tenika Willison to notch her first try of the campaign, Waaka getting her second just moments later.Hufanga got her double just before halftime with a display of pure power close to the line.The rampaging centre kicked off the scoring in the second, set up by a clean Kaiyah Atai line break as the Ferns notched fifty.They would continue to pile on the points, McGregor with another silky dummy and dart for her second.After setting up several tries with some storming carries, Atai got her reward as she once again smashed her way through multiple French defenders.There was no relief for the French, Willison getting a double on debut, first sent in by Hufanga, before McGregor sent a perfect cross kick, the former Olympian evading three would be tacklers on her way to score.Waaka then decided to prove she can run over them as well as around them, bulldozing her way to a hat-trick and fifth World Cup try.Further carnage was inflicted late with Wiki and Nicholls added to their tallys, NIcolls notching the ninety with her fourth to mercifully end themassacre.While rusty in their opening encounter against Fiji, it was a well-oiled Kiwi Ferns machine in Christchurch right from kick-off, sending a serious warning to the Jillaroos.Follow all the action with our live blog below:Embedded content removed for printingKiwi Ferns squad:Brooke Anderson (St George Illawarra Dragons), Kaiyah Atai (Warriors), Annessa Biddle (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks), Brianna Clark (Brisbane Broncos), Georgia Hale (Gold Coast Titans), Mele Hufanga (Warriors), Chantay Kiria-Ratu (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks), Ivana Lauitiiti (Warriors), Shannon Mato (Brisbane Broncos), Raecene McGregor (Wests Tigers), Shaniece Monschau (Wests Tigers), Apii Nicholls (Warriors), Shanice Parker (Newcastle Knights), Otesa Pule (Sydney Roosters), Ashleigh Quinlan (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Abigail Roache (North Queensland Cowboys), Alexis Tauaneai (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Trinity Tauaneai (St George Illawarra Dragons), Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Zahara Temara (Canberra Raiders), Leianne Tufuga (Canberra Raiders), Stacey Waaka (Warriors), Tenika Willison (Newcastle Knights).