Jaime Chapman's explosive first-half hat-trick snuffed out any hope of a New Zealand upset as Australia underlined their women's rugby league dominance with a 34-10 World Cup final annihilation.
The Jillaroos did the damage with six first-half tries on Sunday at Suncorp Stadium, with winger Chapman brilliant before the break to cap a historic tournament.
It was Australia's fourth straight Cup triumph, following a 54-4 win in the final four years ago and coming after New Zealand won the first three tournaments between 2000-08.
Chapman carried two players more than 10 metres to score her first, before flying into the corner for another and then busting through four tacklers for a sensational 70-metre solo effort.
Her treble gave her the equal record for tries in a World Cup - for men or women - at 13, matching the Kiwi Ferns' Honey Hireme-Smiler from 2017.
It seemed inevitable she would go clear in the second half.
But both teams struggled in the Brisbane humidity, with the Ferns' try in the final seconds the only points of an error-riddled second period.
"She's such a great finisher," Australia captain Isabelle Kelly said of Chapman.
"To get that [first try] down with three on her... that's just Chappo."
For the Jillaroos there were several poignant narratives to come out of the win.
Coach Jess Skinner's controversial decision to play five-eighth Jesse Southwell and drop Jocelyn Kelleher paid dividends.
Southwell schemed with the ball, landed five goals and was the perfect foil for half Tarryn Aiken, who controlled play with confidence and skill.
Chapman played in the pool games and semi-final in the 2022 World Cup but has now put an indelible stamp on a final.
Fullback Tamika Upton sat out the tournament four years ago with a calf injury but now the five-time premiership winner has every team accolade in the game to her credit.
Prop Millie Elliott retires with a fairytale ending while dual international Sariah Paki, who was chased by the Ferns to play for them, has now won the World Cup in two sports after triumphing with the Australian rugby sevens side in 2022.
All the talk before the clash was the danger posed by New Zealand's Golden Boot winner and strike centre Stacey Waaka.
The former rugby union star, who had scored nine tries in the tournament, was snuffed out by Kelly, who confronted Waaka all match and gave her no space.
Victory capped a clean-sweep of trophies this year for Kelly, who also skippered successful State of Origin and NRLW outfits.
As the Jillaroos' big guns stood up, centre Jessica Sergis scored her 23rd try in 18 Tests with a 70m dash through the middle off an undetected forward pass.
Aiken turned second-rower Shaylee Bent inside for the second try of the match while Upton started and finished a movement that had her attacking fingerprints all over it.
Ferns fullback Apii Nicholls was her side's best player in a dynamic display until she tore a hamstring in the 66th minute.
"It was an attitude," frustrated Ferns captain Georgia Hale said of their slow start.
"There's the intention of starting fast... but then waiting for them to come at us, for us to then reply.
"We missed the mark; just waiting, and waiting and waiting."
SHARE ME