New Zealand recovered from an unexpected first-half deficit to secure an 18-12 victory over tournament debutants Fiji in their opening Women's Rugby League World Cup match in Newcastle on Sunday.
Considered second favourites for the tournament, the Ferns entered the contest having reached the final of all six previous World Cups, winning the first three editions before finishing as runners-up to Australia in the last three. However, they found themselves in unfamiliar territory after falling behind 12-4 during the first half.
Although Stacey Waaka opened the scoring for New Zealand after two minutes, Fiji responded strongly midway through the opening half. Fijian captain Sereana Naitokatoka broke from dummy half to set up Losana Lutu for the country's first women's World Cup try, before Sienna Laing crossed five minutes later to push Fiji ahead.
Waaka crossed for her second try shortly before the interval to narrow the margin, leaving New Zealand trailing 12-10. It marked the first time the Ferns had ever trailed at half-time in a World Cup fixture.
Fiji's defence held firm for much of the second period before persistent New Zealand pressure resulted in penalties, with kicker Zehara Temara first drawing the scores level and then giving her side the lead. The win was finally secured in the closing minutes when Raecene McGregor sent a cross-field kick to Leianne Tufuga, who touched down to seal the result.
New Zealand head coach Ricky Henry acknowledged the difficulty of the contest afterwards, describing the performance as a sharp reminder for the squad.
"The good thing is we found a way, but the way we played is not what we should," Henry said. "I reckon it's a wake-up call, and the girls will think so too. We fought our way back, so we will take that away with things to work on."
Ferns player Georgia Hale also credited the debutants for their aggressive showing, noting: "We didn't put any expectations on ourselves, but they played like they had nothing to lose. They tested our waters for sure."
New Zealand will host France in Christchurch in their next Group B fixture, while Fiji are scheduled to play Papua New Guinea.
