Which nation won the first Women’s Rugby League World Cup in 2000?

New Zealand won the first Women’s Rugby League World Cup in 2000.

The inaugural women’s tournament was played in the United Kingdom alongside the men’s Rugby League World Cup. New Zealand defeated Great Britain 26–4 in the final at the McAlpine Stadium in Huddersfield on 24 November 2000.

The victory established New Zealand as the first world champion in women’s international rugby league. The New Zealand team, later widely known as the Kiwi Ferns, became one of the sport’s leading women’s national sides and won further World Cup titles in 2005, 2008 and 2013.

The competition is sometimes confused with the first standalone women’s World Cup. The 2000 event was the first official Women’s Rugby League World Cup, but it was staged as part of the wider 2000 tournament programme. Australia later became a major rival, and the women’s competition expanded as international participation increased.