Kiwi Ferns defeat France 92-0 in World Cup rout

The Kiwi Ferns defeated France 92-0 in their second Rugby League World Cup match at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch. New Zealand scored 18 tries during the match, leading 46-0 at halftime.

Fullback Apii Nicholls scored four tries, while Mele Hufanga and Stacey Waaka both recorded hat-tricks. Raecene McGregor scored two tries and provided five assists. Mackenzie Wiki, a late squad call-up, opened the scoring after 80 seconds.

The dominant performance follows a narrow 18-12 victory over Fiji in the opening match. New Zealand's next group game is against Papua New Guinea on the Gold Coast this Saturday.

The Kiwi Ferns are scheduled to face either England or Samoa in the semifinals on 7 November in Newcastle.

How it developed

• Sun 25 Oct, 5:48pmThe report provides the full scoreline, individual try scorers, and details regarding the halftime score and upcoming tournament schedule.

Where reports differ

• One report describes the match as taking place on a warm day with temperatures reaching 26C, while another describes it as being played under the roof.

Compiled from reports by RNZ, Stuff, NZ Herald, The Press and 1News.