League: The Kiwi Ferns' massive sacrifices to make Women's Rugby League World Cup

The New Zealand Kiwi Ferns perform the Haka. Photo / Getty

Beating the Australian Jillaroos will be a tough assignment but the Kiwi Ferns are used to overcoming adversity ahead of tomorrow's Women's Rugby League World Cup final in Brisbane.

Each of the Kiwi Ferns 24-woman squad has had to make huge personal sacrifices in balancing their playing careers with work and family commitments during their build-up to the tournament over the last year.

The side has been well supported and provided for by tournament organisers and the New Zealand Rugby League, but like the struggling second-tier nations in the men's World Cup, the players have had to get by on the minimum $30 daily allowance, with bonus payments for reaching and winning tomorrow's clash at Suncorp Stadium their only significant financial reward.

"It's the first team in a long time I've coached where they're not being paid," said coach Tony Benson.

"They were training three times a week and some of them are travelling pretty big distances to do that, sometimes with kids, or finding baby sitters and dropping them off and then racing off to training and picking them up afterwards.

"Travelling from Tokoroa or Hamilton or even from the North Shore, you're not really getting home until 9.30 or 10pm at the earliest three times a week.

"They're superb - they don't ask for anything and appreciate everything they've got."

It's a different story to the comparatively cashed-up Jillaroos, who are contracted to and paid by their club sides, respective states and the Australian Rugby League, with the reigning champions also enjoying the luxury of high performance training programs and team camps.

The Kiwi Ferns' financial struggles are nothing new for retiring captain Laura Mariu, who will make her last test appearance tomorrow after playing in all five women's tournaments since 2000.

"It's been tough over the years but I'm used to it," said Mariu.

"We have had to fundraise to go over to World Cups in the past and that's become a part of the whole women's rugby league lifestyle.

"It's been a year of tough training on top of working nine-to-five jobs. We've got our families to worry about and our kids to go to school.

"There's so many sacrifices we've had to make and the commitment to this campaign does take its toll, but at the end of the day we're doing something that we love.

"It will be all over after Saturday so it will all be worth it."

Hard-hitting back-rower and player of the tournament Teuila Fotu-Moala has had to overcome her own hurdles and break through cultural and gender-based stereotypes and religious barriers to win her family's support and approval.

The 24-year-old explained her family initially frowned upon her playing league, before it became clear she was destined to reach the pinnacle of her sport.

"I wasn't allowed to play on Sundays and because I was a girl my family would stop me from playing, but I kept sneaking out of the house and just going anyway," said Fotu-Moala.

"It wasn't feminine to be out of the house training at night and stuff.

"They'd (say) 'you're supposed to be at church'. They wanted me to be real traditional but I just rebelled against everything and kept playing.

"Later on, as I made the Kiwis I started being supported and (they) started pushing me to do the best I could.

"They saw me play and saw I was doing well and they just let it go because they got tired of saying no."

With the end of the campaign now in view, Benson says it's been difficult breaking the news of team selections to players who have missed out on a spot in the game day 17.

"Getting to the business end and some of them are not making it and it's devastating for them because they've worked so hard for nearly a year.

"In the past it's not really worried me too much but it's quite emotional for everybody at this stage.

"The commitments we've made, now it means so much to gets something back from it on Saturday night."