Australia Beat Scotland 56–12 in Sydney: WXV Global Series Result and Match Recap

Updated October 17, 2026, after full time. Australia defeated Scotland 56–12 at Accor Stadium in Sydney, scoring eight tries in the WXV Global Series match. The Wallaroos led 35–5 at halftime and added three second-half tries to finish an emphatic win. Scotland scored through Katie Buchanan and captain Rachel Malcolm. This result follows Australia’s 30–10 win in Edinburgh in September and leaves one more meeting between the sides, scheduled for Canberra on October 23.

• Final: Australia 56, Scotland 12.
• Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026.
• Venue: Accor Stadium, also identified by World Rugby as Stadium Australia, Sydney, Australia.
• Competition: WXV Global Series 2026.
• Halftime: Australia 35, Scotland 5.

Kickoff, venue, and official timing

World Rugby’s match center lists the scheduled kickoff as 1:00 p.m. AEDT in Sydney (UTC+11), or 02:00 UTC on October 17. Rugby Australia’s original fixture listing also gave 1:00 p.m. AEDT. Some event-day Rugby Australia preview and coverage copy displayed noon, so the published listings were inconsistent; this update follows the match-center time for the venue and UTC conversion. World Rugby labels the ground Stadium Australia, while the host union calls it Accor Stadium. Both names refer to the Sydney venue for this match.

The match opened a major rugby program at the stadium. The Wallaroos–Scotland Test was followed by the Australia and Fiji Sevens teams and then the Wallabies–All Blacks Bledisloe Cup Test. Rugby Australia’s post-match report confirms that the women’s match is complete and records the 56–12 final score.

How the match unfolded

Scotland struck first. Katie Buchanan finished a wide attack inside the opening four minutes, giving the visitors a 5–0 lead. Australia answered through hooker Brittany Merlo, with Samantha Wood converting. Once Australia settled into its forward-driven attack, the Wallaroos began to create space outside. Maya Stewart scored their next try, and fullback Desiree Miller crossed soon after Scotland’s Meryl Smith received a yellow card.

Australia used the numerical advantage to build a decisive cushion. Amelia Whitaker scored her first Test try in gold with a long-range finish, then Waiaria Ellis completed another backline move before halftime. Five first-half tries gave Australia a 35–5 lead. Rugby Australia’s match account says Scotland had conceded six penalties in the opening 20 minutes; the yellow card and resulting spell with 14 players added pressure at a key point in the half.

Miller scored again early in the second half. Scotland responded when captain Rachel Malcolm powered over from close range, making it 42–12 and briefly turning the contest into a tighter physical battle. Australia kept threatening from deep, however, and Whitaker added her second try in the 65th minute. Eva Karpani finished the scoring near the end, carrying through defenders for Australia’s eighth try. Rugby Australia’s post-match analysis notes that the Wallaroos scored three tries to Scotland’s one after halftime, despite a more competitive second-half contest.

Final score and scorers

• Australia (56): tries by Brittany Merlo, Maya Stewart, Desiree Miller (2), Amelia Whitaker (2), Waiaria Ellis, and Eva Karpani. Samantha Wood kicked six conversions and Faitala Moleka kicked two.
• Scotland (12): tries by Katie Buchanan and Rachel Malcolm. Helen Nelson kicked one conversion.

Whitaker was named player of the match in Rugby Australia’s post-match analysis. Her two tries, including a second long-range break, were part of a strong showing from the Australian back three: Stewart, Whitaker, and Miller all scored. The match report also highlights Australia’s ability to turn sustained pressure into points before the interval, while Scotland’s two scores came at the start of each half.

Matchday 23s, including Scotland’s late change

The lineups below reflect the teams that took the field, rather than only the earlier announced selections. Australia was unchanged from its published team. In a late Scotland change reported by Rugby Australia before kickoff, Hollie Cunningham moved into the starting second row for Sarah Bonar, and Adelle Ferrie joined the replacements. Siokapesi Palu Sekona captained Australia; Rachel Malcolm captained Scotland.

Australia (Wallaroos)

Scotland

What the result means for the series

This was the second meeting in a three-Test Australia–Scotland series. The Wallaroos had won the first match 30–10 in Edinburgh on September 26, then followed it with a 44-point win in Sydney. Australia has now secured the head-to-head series with two victories from the first two games, while the third Test remains a chance to complete a clean sweep. Scotland will be looking for a response and its first win over Australia when the teams meet again.

The final match is scheduled for Friday, October 23, at GIO Stadium in Canberra. It is the last stop in Scotland’s Australian visit and Australia’s final scheduled Test of the season. Rugby Australia’s post-match review points to the Sydney back-three combination and the impact of the replacements as positives for the Wallaroos to carry into that fixture. For Scotland, the second-half try from Malcolm and improved contest after halftime provide a more useful starting point for the rematch than the opening period, when Australia converted pressure into five tries.

The Sydney result is part of WXV Global Series 2026, which brings leading women’s national teams into a sequence of international matches. It gives Australia a strong home win and extends its unbeaten record against Scotland; it does not, on its own, settle any wider World Cup qualification pathway. The immediate consequence is the 2–0 score in this three-match matchup, with the Canberra result still to come.

Official sources

See Rugby Australia’s final match report for the result and scoring summary, and its live match coverage for the late Scotland change and matchday details. World Rugby’s official match center lists the ground, local kickoff, and UTC time. Rugby Australia’s post-match analysis reviews the back-three performance and the road to Canberra.