National Championships 2024: Live blog Day 3

The opening match of the Day Three was as competitive as expected, with Northern Territory pushing NSW City in an entertaining match before going down 12-6. Northern Territory threatened an upset early when they scored first through Lyrech Mara, with Victoria Alley's conversion putting them up 6-0. City responded just before the half-time break when Sharni Waters added to her tally, but with the conversion not made, the NT took a 6-4 lead to the break. However, two second half tries to City from Heidi Regan and Brittany Constable proved the difference in the end, as well as the team's defensive efforts to shut-out NT in the second half.

Ahi Ka Aotearoa v Western Australia

Ahi Ka Aotearoa led from start to finish in their game against Western Australia, with Manea Waaka adding to her tournament tally when she crossed in the opening minute. WA worked hard to keep things tight in the first half and only trailed 8-0 at the break, but had too much work to do in the second, with the New Zealand team running in three tries to close out the game and claim their second win of the Harvey Norman Women's National Championships. Las Vegas NRL Combine winners MarCaya Bailous and Megan Pakulis played in their third team of the tournament, turning out for Western Australia. 

Queensland Sapphires v First Nations Gems

An enticing clash awaited rugby league fans for this game with two unbeaten sides in the Sapphires and the Gems facing off. The Gems got off to the perfect start, scoring the first try of the match when Leila Murphy went over. However, the Sapphires then worked their way back into the match and used their first real opportunity after earning a scrum, with Relna Hosea going over for the first of her two first-half tries. Queensland went into the break with a 10-4 lead, then sealed the deal in the opening minutes of the second half when co-captain Bree Spreadborough scored another tournament try to push the advantage, with Kayla Shepherd's conversion pushing the score to 16-4. 

Fiji v Victoria

Newcomers Fiji claimed their first win of the tournament in their maiden Harvey Norman Women's National Championships campaign, but were made to work against Victoria in a match with plenty of physicality. The Fiji bench and their supporters have been one of the highlights of the carnival so far and there were smiles and cheers all around at fulltime. Victoria can also take positives from their performance, showing grit in their defence. 

NSW Country v South Australia

NSW Country flexed their muscle against South Australia on Day Three, posting a 44-0 win. Country ran in for four tries in the opening half to record a 22-0 lead at the break, before adding to their tally in the second half, with Sarah Coleman going over for a try in each half. The Country halfback also kicked six conversions for a personal tally of 20 points. 

Papua New Guinea v Australian Defence Force Rugby League

Papua New Guinea posted back-to-back wins after toughing it out against Australian Defence Force Rugby League for a 6-0 win. In wet conditions, defence was the name of the game, with a try Deborah Kitipa just before half-time proving the difference. Belinda Gwasamun kicked the conversion for the 6-0 lead which they were able to hold on to until the end of the match. Despite the conditions, both teams put on a quality performance and respected the ball. 

All teams will be in action again tomorrow for the final day of the tournament, with games kicking off from 9am.