# Walsh vomits, Ponga plays hurt in World Cup opener

> Australia beats New Zealand 24-22 in rugby league World Cup as star players battle through exhaustion and injury.
- Title: Walsh vomits, Ponga plays hurt in World Cup opener · BBC Sport
- Summary: Australia beats New Zealand 24-22 in rugby league World Cup as star players battle through exhaustion and injury. Australia defeated New Zealand 24-22 in the…
- Keywords: rugby league, world cup 2026, australia, new zealand, reece walsh, kalyn ponga, jack bostock, sports, Walsh, vomits, Ponga, plays
- Source: BBC Sport — https://bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/articles/c574pn7j0yp3o
- Published: 2026-10-15T15:07:15.641+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: rugby league, world cup 2026, australia, new zealand, reece walsh, kalyn ponga, jack bostock, sports
## Australia edges New Zealand in epic opener
Australia defeated New Zealand 24-22 in Thursday's Rugby League World Cup opener in Sydney. The match showcased the physical commitment of rugby league's greatest stars.
## Walsh plays through exhaustion and vomiting
Reece Walsh, Australia's full-back, played for the first time in eight weeks after recovering from an ankle injury.He was exhausted and vomiting during the match but delivered a try-saving tackle and a sensational sixty-metre burst.
## Walters praises Walsh's power and effort
Australia head coach Kevin Walters said Walsh was very good despite not playing for eight weeks.

> He's cramping and vomiting and all sorts of things. He's a chucker. People get nicknames and his nickname is 'Chucker'.
## Ponga scores but plays through arm injury
New Zealand full-back Kalyn Ponga scored two tries including one with an elusive step that left Walsh clutching at air.
## Jack Bostock scores winning try for Australia
Hat-trick hero Jack Bostock scored the winning try for Australia in the final moments. Ponga had to be almost scraped off the pitch minutes before Bostock's try, having played through his arm injury.
## Ponga's World Cup participation now in doubt
New Zealand coach Stacey Jones said Ponga would undergo medical checks and scans. Jones said it is a possible fracture of the arm and that Ponga could not catch the ball or anything like that…

> It's a possible fracture of the arm but he's going to go for scans and we're not going to make a call on him right now where he's at.
## Ponga's injury threatens New Zealand's hopes
Should Ponga be ruled out, it would be a huge blow to New Zealand's hopes of winning a second World Cup, eighteen years on from their first.
## Key takeaway

Australia defeated New Zealand 24-22 in the Rugby League World Cup opener as Reece Walsh played through exhaustion and Kalyn Ponga battled a suspected broken arm.