Five Wests Tigers will be on show when Australia tackles New Zealand in this weekend’s Pacific Championships double-header in Melbourne.
Jillaroos vs Kiwi Ferns – 6pm Saturday 28th October at AAMI Park, Melbourne
Kezie Apps will make her 15th appearance for Australia when the Jillaroos play the Kiwi Ferns in the first match of the Trans-Tasman double-header.
The Wests Tigers Co-captain will join 15 other Australians who have also played 15 or more internationals for their country.
Wests Tigers teammate Jakiya Whitfeld will also mark a major career milestone alongside Apps, when she makes her Jillaroos’ debut on Saturday.
The lightning-quick winger who is joining the Cowboys next season has earned the call-up after scoring four tries for the Australian Prime Ministers XIII's last month.
Wests Tigers teammates Leianne Tufuga and Najvada George have held their places in the Kiwi Ferns team for a third straight match, following last weekend’s 28-10 win over Mate Ma’a Tonga at Eden Park.
These teams met two weeks ago in Townsville when the Jillaroos defeated the Kiwi Ferns 16-10, a far cry from the 54-4 victory for Australia in last year’s Women’s World Cup.
Kangaroos vs New Zealand Kiwis – 8pm Saturday 28th October at AAMI Park, Melbourne
In the men’s match at AAMI Park, the Kangaroos face the Kiwis in a dress rehearsal for the Pac Champs final, with both sides having already booked a place in the decider.
Isaiah Papali’i is part of an unchanged line-up for New Zealand following last weekend’s 50-0 thumping of Samoa in Auckland.
The Wests Tigers edge forward scored one of his team’s nine tries at Eden Park and will suit up for his ninth appearance for the Kiwis.
Papali’i is one of 12 New Zealand players remaining from the side that lost 16-14 to the Kangaroos when these two sides last met in the 2022 World Cup semi-final.
PNG Kumuls vs Fiji Bati – 4pm Sunday 29th October at Port Moresby
The Pacific Championships will return to Port Moresby on Sunday for a third straight week when Papua New Guinea hosts Fiji Bati.
Wests Tigers player of the year Jahream Bula made a ‘dream’ start to his international career last weekend guiding Fiji to a hard-fought 22-18 victory over Cook Islands.
The livewire fullback scored a try, saved a try, and played a match-winning role on debut.
Bula plays starring role in Fiji victory
Bula will again be joined in the Bati line-up by Wests Tigers 2023 teammates Brandon Wakeham and Apisalome Saukuru.
Using Fiji’s four-point-win over the Cook Islands as a benchmark suggests it could be a tough day at the office for Bula and Co. on Sunday. The Kumuls thumped Cook Islands 46-10 on the very same turf two weeks ago.
It was a closely fought contest when these teams met in last year’s mid-season internationals at Campbelltown Sports Stadium – where Bula this year made his NRL debut - with the Kumuls prevailing 24-14.
