Fetu Samoa are desperate to emulate the success of the country's men's side as they prepare to step up to the Pacific Cup for the first time.
Samoa qualified for the top division of the Pacific Championships with an undefeated 2024 campaign punctuated with a 34-12 win over Papua New Guinea in the promotion-relegation game.
The nation also qualified for next year's World Cup in the process with victories over Tonga and Fiji.
The Samoan men progressed to the final of the 2022 World Cup and have their sights on a historic title at next year's tournament.
While the step up to the Pacific Cup is a major leap, emerging lock Sienna Lofipo said the success of the Samoan men's team will inspire the side throughout the campaign.
Orchids v Fetu Samoa - Week 4, 2024
"It's cool to play Australia and New Zealand and we'll be up for the challenge," Lofipo told ljmpta.com. "We've got a bunch of Samoan girls coming through the ranks now so we're building some depth and we've got lots of players to pick from.
"We want to bounce off what the men do and it's cool to see them have success. We're both Samoan teams so we want to take after them and follow in their footsteps."
Samoa will kick off their campaign against New Zealand in the opening week of the Pacific Championships before travelling to Australia to play the Jillaroos at Suncorp Stadium on October 26.
Nu'uausala the destroyer
Both matches will be double-headers played alongside the Samoan men, who will take on the Kiwis and Tonga in their respective fixtures.
The ranks of Samoan-eligible players in the NRLW have expanded in recent years, with experienced Broncos forward Annetta-Claudia Nu'uausala helping mentor the next generation.
Lindsay Tui, Monalisa Soliola, Evah McEwen and Christian Pio are among the crop in contention to represent the country this year.
Samoa will play New Zealand for the first time since 2020, which the Kiwi Ferns claimed 28-8 in a hard-fought affair in Auckland.
New Zealand recognise their opponents have improved considerably in the four years since that clash, with forward Brooke Anderson preparing for a tough contest.
Samoa deliver powerful Sipi Tau
"Samoa are very physical so it's always a good battle," Anderson said. "It's awesome to see those girls in the NRLW playing for Samoa.
"It's been great to see Samoa building along with Tonga and Papua New Guinea. They're good competition to come up against and give us a run for our money so we'll have to be on our game."
While it's been five years since Samoa last played New Zealand, they have had to wait even longer between games against Australia.
The two nations last faced off in 2011, with the Jillaroos prevailing 42-14 in Apia.
Women's rugby league has grown considerably since that match 14 years ago, with the sport rapidly expanding in both Australia and the Pacific.
Jillaroos star Tiana Penitani Gray represented Tonga in 2023 and said continued investment is crucial to ensure the women's game continues to develop.
A proud day for Penitani
"It's great to have the representation there," Penitani Gray said. "We always speak about how much the Pacific give to this game and the percentage of Pasifika players in the NRL and NRLW.
"The Samoan girls are a real force to be reckoned with and it adds another level of competition to the international game. It'd be nice to have more girls go back and play for their home countries to elevate that space.
"Investment and development pathways in country and where there is a larger population of Pacific Islander players is really important for the international growth of the game. In a few years with the right investment we'll see a similar growth to what we've seen in the men's game."
