The Kangaroos vs Kiwis record is heavily in Australia’s favour, but New Zealand have landed some famous blows. Here is the full head-to-head history since 1908, every World Cup final between them, the biggest wins and the records.
Australia and New Zealand have been playing Test rugby league against each other since 1908, and on Sunday 15 November they meet in the Rugby League World Cup final at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
The Kangaroos have history behind them. According to the Rugby League Project’s head-to-head records, the two nations have met in 142 senior internationals, with Australia winning 105, New Zealand 34 and three matches drawn.
That record includes the World Cup opener at Allianz Stadium on 15 October, when Jack Bostock scored a hat-trick on debut in a 24-22 Kangaroos win. The final, kicking off at 6:35pm AEST (7:35pm AEDT), will be the 143rd meeting between the two nations.
The Kiwis, though, have a habit of rising for the big ones. They beat Australia in the 2008 World Cup final, in three Tri-Nations and Four Nations finals, and by 30-0 in the 2023 Pacific Cup final, their biggest winning margin in the rivalry.
Here is the full Kangaroos vs Kiwis head-to-head record, from the first Test in Sydney in 1908 to Sunday’s final.
Read more: Kangaroos Team Unchanged for World Cup Final Against Kiwis
Kangaroos vs Kiwis head-to-head record at a glance
- Matches played: 142 (1908 to 2026)
- Australia wins: 105
- New Zealand wins: 34
- Draws: 3 (Auckland 1993, Auckland 2004 and London 2009)
- Points: Australia 3,223, New Zealand 1,878
- In Australia: 75 played, Australia 59 wins, New Zealand 16
- In New Zealand: 53 played, Australia 34 wins, New Zealand 17, two draws
- In England and France: 14 played, Australia 12 wins, New Zealand one, one draw
- At World Cups: 21 played, Australia 19 wins, New Zealand two
- Longest winning streak: Australia 14 (1972 to 1983), New Zealand four (1952 to 1953)
All figures in this article come from the Rugby League Project’s senior international database, which already includes the 2026 World Cup opener. The venue split is by the country each match was played in.
Read more: Rugby League World Cup Winners: Every Champion Since 1954
Where the rivalry began
The first Test between the two nations was played at the Royal Agricultural Society Showground in Sydney on 9 May 1908, and the touring New Zealanders won it 11-10. They also won the second Test in Brisbane 24-12, so the Kiwis took the first series between the countries 2-1.
Australia won the 1909 series 2-1 and took three of the four Tests on their 1919 tour of New Zealand. The early 1950s were the Kiwis’ best era. In 1952 they won a series in Australia 2-1, including a 49-25 thrashing in Brisbane in which goalkicker Des White landed 11 goals for 22 points. His 11 goals are still the most by any player in a Kangaroos vs Kiwis Test, and 49 is still New Zealand’s highest score against Australia.
New Zealand then won the first two Tests of the 1953 series at home, a run of four straight wins over Australia that the Kiwis have never bettered.
Australia’s golden era
Australia’s longest winning streak against New Zealand ran for 14 Tests, from a 36-11 win in Sydney in July 1972 to a 16-4 win in Auckland in June 1983. The Kiwis ended it four weeks later with a 19-12 win in Brisbane.
From the late 1980s the Kangaroos became the dominant force in world rugby league, and the scorelines show it. All five of Australia’s biggest winning margins against New Zealand came between 1991 and 2007.
Australia’s biggest wins over New Zealand
- 58-0 in Wellington, 14 October 2007: Australia scored 11 tries, the most by either side in this fixture, with Greg Inglis crossing for a hat-trick
- 52-0 in Sydney, 21 April 2000: Mat Rogers scored 24 points, the most by any player in a Kangaroos vs Kiwis Test
- 44-0 in Sydney, 24 July 1991
- 48-6 in Sydney, 25 July 2003
- 50-12 in Brisbane, 5 May 2006
New Zealand’s biggest wins over Australia
- 30-0 in Hamilton, 4 November 2023 (Pacific Cup final): Jamayne Isaako scored two tries and 18 points
- 49-25 in Brisbane, 28 June 1952
- 24-0 at Elland Road in Leeds, 26 November 2005 (Tri-Nations final)
- 24-3 in Auckland, 26 June 1971
- 25-5 in Christchurch, 27 June 1953
The 2005 Tri-Nations final win was one of the biggest shocks in the rivalry’s history. It was the first time Australia had failed to win a series or tournament since the 1978 Kangaroo tour, and coach Wayne Bennett stood down from the national job soon afterwards.
Every World Cup final between the Kangaroos and Kiwis
Sunday’s match will be the fifth World Cup final between the two nations. Australia have won three of the previous four.
- 1988, Eden Park, Auckland: Australia 25 def. New Zealand 12. Allan Langer scored two tries, and the crowd of 47,363 was a New Zealand rugby league record
- 2000, Old Trafford, Manchester: Australia 40 def. New Zealand 12. Wendell Sailor scored two tries and was named man of the match
- 2008, Lang Park (Suncorp Stadium), Brisbane: New Zealand 34 def. Australia 20. The Kiwis won their first and only men’s World Cup in one of the great upsets
- 2013, Old Trafford, Manchester: Australia 34 def. New Zealand 2. Johnathan Thurston was man of the match in front of 74,468, at the time a record crowd for an international rugby league match
Across all World Cup matches, Australia lead New Zealand 19-2. The Kiwis’ only other World Cup win over the Kangaroos was an 18-0 victory in Auckland in 1985, in the long-form 1985-88 tournament. NRL.com says the Kangaroos have won their last 22 World Cup matches, a run that started after the 2008 final.
Tri-Nations, Four Nations and Pacific Cup finals
Between World Cups, the two nations have also met in six other tournament finals, and this is where New Zealand’s record is much stronger.
- 1999 Tri-Nations final, Auckland: Australia 22 def. New Zealand 20
- 2005 Tri-Nations final, Leeds: New Zealand 24 def. Australia 0
- 2006 Tri-Nations final, Sydney: Australia 16 def. New Zealand 12, with captain Darren Lockyer scoring in the 87th minute of golden point extra time
- 2010 Four Nations final, Brisbane: New Zealand 16 def. Australia 12
- 2014 Four Nations final, Wellington: New Zealand 22 def. Australia 18
- 2016 Four Nations final, Anfield, Liverpool: Australia 34 def. New Zealand 8
Add the 2023 Pacific Cup final in Hamilton, and the Kiwis have won four of those seven finals.
Kangaroos vs Kiwis at Suncorp Stadium
Sunday’s venue gives the Kiwis some hope. Since the stadium was rebuilt in the early 2000s, the two nations have played eight Tests there and won four each.
- 2005: Australia 32-16
- 2006: Australia 50-12
- 2007: Australia 30-6
- 2008 World Cup final: New Zealand 34-20
- 2009: Australia 38-10
- 2010 Four Nations final: New Zealand 16-12
- 2014 Four Nations: New Zealand 30-12
- 2015: New Zealand 26-12
New Zealand won the last three of those Tests. But the 2015 win in Brisbane is also the last time the Kiwis beat Australia on Australian soil, a run NRL.com highlighted in its World Cup final team lists.
Kangaroos vs Kiwis: the last 10 results
- 5 November 2016, Coventry (Four Nations): Australia 14-8
- 20 November 2016, Liverpool (Four Nations final): Australia 34-8
- 5 May 2017, Canberra (Anzac Test): Australia 30-12
- 13 October 2018, Auckland: New Zealand 26-24
- 25 October 2019, Wollongong (Oceania Cup): Australia 26-4
- 11 November 2022, Leeds (World Cup semi-final): Australia 16-14
- 28 October 2023, Melbourne (Pacific Cup): Australia 36-18
- 4 November 2023, Hamilton (Pacific Cup final): New Zealand 30-0
- 27 October 2024, Christchurch (Pacific Cup): Australia 22-10
- 15 October 2026, Sydney (World Cup): Australia 24-22
That is eight wins to two for Australia, but three of the last five meetings were either decided by two points or won by New Zealand.
Kangaroos vs Kiwis player records
- Most appearances: Darren Lockyer (Australia), 31, ahead of Cameron Smith (Australia), 29
- Most tries: 15, shared by Darren Lockyer and Greg Inglis (both Australia)
- Most points: Johnathan Thurston (Australia), 192, including 84 goals
- Most points by a New Zealander: Des White, 70
- Most points in a match: Mat Rogers (Australia), 24, in 2000
- Most goals in a match: Des White (New Zealand), 11, in 1952
Bostock joined a long list of players with a hat-trick in the fixture when he scored three in the World Cup opener. Kiwis winger Isaako needs one point to break Shaun Johnson’s record for the most points by a New Zealand Test player, while Reece Walsh has nine tries in six Tests for Australia.
For a wider look at the men who built Australia’s record, see our ranking of the top 25 Kangaroos players of all time.
2026 Rugby League World Cup final: what’s at stake
Australia are chasing a fourth straight World Cup and a 13th title overall, which would extend a record that no other nation comes close to. Coach Kevin Walters has named an unchanged side from the team that beat Samoa 44-12 in the semi-final, with Walsh at fullback and Cameron Munster and Tom Dearden in the halves.
New Zealand are into their first World Cup final since 2013 after beating Tonga 34-10 in Newcastle. Kalyn Ponga, who scored two tries in the opener before breaking his arm, returned for that semi-final and has since won the 2026 Golden Boot as the world’s best international player.
History says Australia. The Kiwis’ record at Suncorp Stadium and their knack of winning finals says it could be much closer than 105 wins to 34 suggests. Whatever happens, the NRL season is not far away, and when it starts you can follow form, stats and tips for every game in TSB’s NRL Match Centre.
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