Rugby League World Cup: Australia beat Fiji 36-22 to reach semi-finals; Isaako scores record 38 points for New Zealand

Three Rugby League World Cup games were played on Sunday 25 October, BBC Sport reported.

Australia 36-22 Fiji (Brisbane)

Australia reached the semi-finals. Fiji, who had lost their previous five meetings with Australia by an aggregate 246-16, led 16-12 early in the second half. A Solomone Saukuru try that would have made it 20-12 was ruled out for obstruction, and Tom Trbojevic scored at the other end straight away, BBC Sport said. Trbojevic finished with a hat-trick and Jacob Preston also scored. Semi Valemei scored three tries for Fiji. Kotoni Staggs opened Australia’s scoring, and debutant Sam Walker scored a try and kicked 12 points.

“We weren’t at our best but we came away with two points,” Trbojevic told Premier Sports.

New Zealand 82-16 Cook Islands (Christchurch)

Jamayne Isaako scored 38 points, three tries and 13 conversions, a World Cup record for one game according to BBC Sport, beating Tasesa Lavea’s 32 against the Cook Islands in 2000. The Cook Islands came back from 12-0 down to lead 16-12 through an Esom Ioka hat-trick before New Zealand led 36-16 at half-time. New Zealand play Fiji in their last pool game on Saturday 31 October (4:30am GMT).

Women: New Zealand 92-0 France (Christchurch)

Apii Nicholls scored four of New Zealand’s 18 tries, and Stacey Waaka and Mele Hufanga scored hat-tricks. New Zealand play Papua New Guinea on 31 October (6:45am GMT).

See also: Women’s Rugby League World Cup: Australia beat England 78-0 in Perth · Rugby League World Cup: Samoa beat PNG 64-6, England beat France 82-0