Fiji's women have reached the Rugby League World Cup semi-finals at their first ever World Cup, beating France 54-6 at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast on Saturday. The Bulikula led 20-0 at half-time and never let France back into a match that sealed their place in the last four.

Tahlia Marshall crossed in the fourth minute to set the tone, and Maria Paseka added a second try in her return from a leg injury. France found a response early in the second half through Fanny Ramos, scoring their second try of the tournament, but Fiji answered immediately through Cassie Staples and the contest was effectively over.

Power and pace prove too much

Powerhouse forwards Latisha Smythe and Leilani Ahsam scored in quick succession as Fiji's strength and speed overwhelmed a brave French side, and Lorren Ieli finished the scoring in the 68th minute after leaving four defenders behind her. The win caps a remarkable debut tournament for a side that had already beaten Papua New Guinea 40-4 and pushed New Zealand close in an 18-12 defeat in week one.

The reward is a semi-final against world champions Australia at Allianz Stadium in Sydney next Sunday, a daunting but richly earned occasion for Sereana Naitokatoka and her team. On the same day, New Zealand's Kiwi Ferns beat Papua New Guinea 40-12 to book the other semi-final place, where they will meet Samoa in Newcastle.

A statement for the women's game

Fiji's run is already one of the stories of this World Cup. A debutant side reaching the semi-finals, with a blend of power up front and pace out wide, shows how quickly the women's game is growing beyond its traditional powers — and next Sunday's meeting with Australia will measure just how far the Bulikula have come.