Kiwis riding passionate wave of support in bid for glory

On the eve of New Zealand's tilt at a first World Cup title since 2008, coach Stacey Jones has paid tribute to the Kiwis' fans for the unwavering support they have provided on the road to the final.

From the epic tournament opener in Sydney to home turf in Christchurch and the Gold Coast and Newcastle, Jones' team have been backed by a passionate army of fans eager to see the World Cup in New Zealand hands for just the second time.

Across his own glittering 46-Test career, Jones played in just one World Cup final, a 40-12 loss to Australia in 2000, so he knows the significance of the moment for his players and the Kiwi fans.

"Wherever we have been there has been lots of Kiwis support which has been fantastic," Jones said on Saturday.

"Obviously everyone talks about the Pacific nations and their support and that has been wonderful but we have had terrific support from Kiwi fans.

"It's off the back of where the game is at the moment, with what the Warriors are doing, and this is something exciting that New Zealand rugby league can do."

Kiwi fans have waited 13 years for their team to make it to the big dance after they were eliminated at the semi-final stage in 2022 and the quarter-finals in 2017 when they were stunned by Fiji.

Their greatest moment came in 2008 when Benji Marshall inspired a monumental 34-20 upset over the Kangaroos at the very venue where the Trans-Tasman rivals clash on Sunday night.

The Kiwis and Kangaroos opened the 2026 World Cup with a pulsating contest at Allianz Stadium which Australia won 24-22 on the back of a magical display by Reece Walsh.

From there the Kiwis piled on 82 points against Cook Islands and 78 against Fiji before a comprehensive 34-10 win over Tonga in the semi-final to punch their ticket to Suncorp Stadium.

"Every week we have been building and we are in a position now where we can go after this thing," said Jones.

"Our mantra from day one has been to get better each time, we have challenged ourselves every training session and every game to chase the improvements and I feel like that's what we have done and that's why we are in this position.

"The players are pretty clear on what is required rather than worrying about what the outcome is."

As he looks to guide the Kiwis to a second World Cup title and deny the Kangaroos their fourth in a row, Jones said it's an honour to coach the team he served with such distinction as a player between 1995 and 2006.

"This squad has been built since Michael Maguire was in charge and I have taken over a team that has a really good leadership group and we have been able to blood some players over a couple of years and that has been really exciting," Jones said.

"I've mentioned the word excited a few times. That's how I feel and really pleased that we are in the position to do something special."

• Tune into Channel 7 this Sunday to see the Kangaroos and Kiwis battle for World Cup supremacy. LIVE from 6.30pm AEDT