Rugby League World Cup
Encyclopedia
The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league
competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation
(RLIF). It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954
. This was the first World Cup of either rugby code
and the first competition to be officially known as the "Rugby World Cup".
The most recent tournament was contested in Australia in 2008
and was won by New Zealand
for the first time. In the thirteen tournaments held to date, three nations have won the competition (Australia nine times, Great Britain
three times and New Zealand once) out of the seventeen total teams who haven taken part. Australia, France and New Zealand are the only teams to have played in all tournaments, with Great Britain being split into England
, Wales, Scotland and Ireland
since 1995. The next competition in 2013 will be in the England
, France
, Ireland
and Wales
and will form part of the UK's 'Golden Decade of Sport'
Since 2000, the RLIF has also organised World Cups for Women
, Students
and other categories
.
, the President of the French Rugby League
. In January 1952 the idea gained momentum as Rugby Football League
secretary Bill Fallowfield
persuaded the Rugby League Council to support the concept. At a meeting held in Blackpool, England, November 1953, the International Board accepted Paul Barrière’s proposal that France should be the nation to host the first World Cup, the inaugural "World Cup" of either rugby code. In addition to the hosts, the tournament was intended to feature teams from Britain, Australia, New Zealand and America. The first World Cup
was held the following year, with all invited teams playing except for America, and Great Britain defeated France in Paris on 13 November to claim the title.
The World Cup was initially contested by the four Test nations: Australia, Great Britain
, France
and New Zealand
. The teams played each other in a league
format. After a final was played between the top two teams in 1954, it was decided that the team that finished first in the league standings would be declared the winner for the second World Cup in Australia in 1957. Australia proved victorious on their home ground.
After the successful 1960 competition, in which Great Britain won the title for the second time, there would be no further World Cup for eight years. The competition had been scheduled to be held in France in 1965, this time with the inclusion of the South African team
. However after an unsuccessful tour of Australia, the French withdrew. The tournament was next held in 1968, and followed a two-year cycle until the mid-1970s. The 1972 World Cup final ended in a 10-all draw, and the title was awarded to Great Britain by virtue of their superior record in the qualifiers.
In 1975 the competition underwent its most radical overhaul to date. It was decided to play matches on a home and away basis around the world, instead of in any one host nation. Furthermore, the Great Britain team was split into England and Wales. Australia won that tournament, and in 1977 it was decided that Great Britain should once more compete as a single entity. Although the final between Australia and Great Britain was a closely fought affair, public interest in the tournament waned due to the continuing tinkering with the format, and it would not be held again until the mid-1980s.
From 1985 to 1988, each nation played each other a number of times on a home and away basis. At the end of that period Australia met New Zealand at Eden Park
. The match was a physical encounter, and Australian captain Wally Lewis
played part of the match with a broken arm. The Kangaroos won the competition 25-12. This format was repeated from 1989–1992, and Australia won again, defeating Great Britain 10-6 at Wembley Stadium in front of 72,000 people. This crowd remains a Rugby League World Cup record.
In 1995
the competition was once again restructured, and the largest number of teams to date (10) entered. New teams competing included Fiji
, Tonga
, Samoa
and South Africa. Due to the Super League war
, players aligned with the rebel competition were not selected by the ARL to represent the Kangaroos. This meant the absence of many star players from the Australian team's line-up. The tournament, which was also held to celebrate the centenary of the sport in England, was highly successful with over 250,000 people attending the group stages and over 66,000 people attending the final to see Australia defeat England 16-8.
Following the Super League war
, the subsequent re-structuring of rugby league's international governing bodies meant that the proposed 1998 World Cup was postponed.
The 2000 World Cup
expanded the field further, with 16 teams entering. Blown out score lines meant that this tournament was not as successful as the previous one. In the same year, the first Women's Rugby League World Cup
was held.
In 2008 Australia hosted the tournament again and New Zealand became only the third team to win the World Cup.
president Paul Barrière
at a cost of eight million francs and then donated to the International Rugby League Board to be used for the inaugural competition in 1954. This trophy would be used and presented to the winning nation for the next four tournaments.
The trophy is currently housed at the New Zealand Rugby League Museum until 2013, which is located at Rugby League House, 7 Beasley Avenue, Penrose, Auckland
, New Zealand.
. The trophy was stolen six days before the final, on the night of Sunday, November 1, 1970 and remained unseen for the next 20 years.
Before its theft the trophy was last held aloft by Johnny Raper
after Australia's 20-2 win over France at the Sydney Cricket Ground
on 10 June 1968 to claim the fourth World Cup title.
However, the trophy was not the one which was due to be competed for and presented in the World Cup Final the following Saturday at Headingley Stadium
. With the commencement of sponsorship in the game, administrators had decided to play for a new sponsored trophy, whilst keeping the original safe and on display at the hotel in a symbolic capacity only.
Nothing was known of the trophy's whereabouts for the next 20 years. In 1990, a father-of-four named Stephen Uttley discovered the trophy amongst rubbish dumped in a ditch near the Bradford and Bingley Rugby Club, in Bingley
. He was at the time unaware of the significance of his find.
Uttley made enquiries at local rugby clubs in Bradford, including Bradford Northern, without success. He turned the trophy in to the police but it was returned to him 28 days later after no-one had come forward to claim it. He tried contacting Yorkshire Television
's Calendar
programme about it but could not interest them in the story. There were plans that the trophy might be turned into a body building trophy at Uttley's local gym. Uttley was still determined to find the cup's owner, and contacted the local Telegraph & Argus newspaper who ran an article on it. The trophy was identified from this by rugby league historian Trevor Delaney, who notified the police, the paper and the Rugby Football League
(RFL) of the find.
Delaney and Uttley were concerned for the safety of the trophy, which was being kept at Uttley's council house
, believing it to be increasingly vulnerable due to the media attention placed on it. They were anxious it should be turned over to the authorities before it was stolen again.
On Friday, 1 June 1990, the trophy was presented to Roger Millward
representing the RFL outside the White Rose Health club in Bradford at 10:30am. The cup was then taken to the RFL's headquarters in Leeds
. Speaking on its return, RFL spokesman David Howes commented, "It is like the return of the Holy Grail. No-one knows what its value is, but in rugby league terms it is priceless". The RFL were pleased to offer a reward to Mr Uttley for the trophy's welcome return, offering "anything except a place in the team" Howes joked. Mr Uttley asked only for some tickets to matches.
The original World Cup trophy was brought back into use for the 2000 World Cup
minus the cockerel that had adorned it initially. It was presented to the victorious Australian team. The trophy featured again during the 2008 World Cup
, when it was used prominently as the basis for the competition logo. It is likely this trophy will be retained for the 2013 competition and thereafter.
to decide the champion
. This style was re-introduced for the 1977 tournament
.
, a new format was introduced where no single country would host the world cup; rather each country playing in the tournament would host all home
fixtures in their own country and play away in the country of their opposition. There was no final, with the team at the top of the points table being declared winner. This style of tournament saw a further three countries enter the cup under the league format; England, Papua New Guinea and Wales.
The home and away style was dropped for 1977, but was used for a further two world cups in the eighties, (1985-88 and 1989-92) which saw the length of the series stretched from 8 months in 1975 to 3 years.
the majority of teams have had to qualify for the World Cup tournament. There are 3 qualifying groups, European, Oceania and Pacific Islands and Atlantic. Teams start off playing in their respective group and attempt to qualify by. The remaining teams who are unsuccessful at qualifying in this fashion attempt to gain entry via the repêchage
rounds of the World Cup qualifiers.
groups of teams have been placed in a qualifying pool followed by a finals system. The top teams in each pool qualify into the next round.
In 1995, there were 10 teams split into one group of four, and two groups of three. The top two teams progressed in the group of four and the top team progressed from each of the groups of three into the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-finals progressed to the final.
Moldova, Russia, USA, Cook Islands, Morocco, Ireland and Scotland competed in a parallel Emerging Nations World Cup.
In 2000
, sixteen teams were split into four groups of four. The top two teams from each group progressed to the knockout quarter finals. The winners of the quarter finals played in the semi-final and the winners of the semi-finals progressed to the final.
The parallel Emerging Nations tournament was repeated with debuts from teams from Japan, Canada and Italy
The 2008 tournament
followed a similar format to the 1995 competition. The 10 teams were split into one group of four, and two groups of three. Three teams progressed into the semi-finals in the group of four and the winners of the two groups of three went to a playoff for a position in the semi-final. The winners of the semi-finals progressed to the final.
For the 2008 tournament five teams were granted automatic entry into the cup and therefore did not have to gain admission through the qualifying stages. These five teams included England and the original four that entered the World Cup between 1954 and 1992; Australia, France, Papua New Guinea
and New Zealand.
The 2013 edition sees an expansion to 14 teams, comprising two groups of four and two groups of three. As in 2008, due to the groups of four consisting of more higher seeded sides, three nations from each will qualify for the quarter-finals where they will be joined by the two winners of the groups of three.
The host and format of the 2017 World Cup has not yet been decided. At the 2010 Rugby League International Federation
executive meeting the New Zealand Rugby League
made an early submission to co-host the 2017 tournament with Australia.
Up to and including the 2008 tournament only Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain have been crowned World Cup champions with Australia easily the most successful winning nine of the thirteen tournaments but many other nations have performed well in the tournament since its inception over fifty years ago. France have been runners-up on two occasions including the inaugural cup where they were captained by Puig Aubert
, New Zealand and England have also finished runners-up on two occasions.
Ireland and Wales have twice made it past the qualifying pool stages. Other nations to have proceeded to the knock-out stages in one tournament are Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Samoa.
The United States and Italy will compete in their first World Cup in 2013 after successfully qualifying in 2011
.
The following list, are all the teams that have competed in a World Cup tournament since its inception; the number of times they have appeared; their most recent appearance; consecutive appearances and their highest result:
. In the début tournament the highest point scorer was the France national rugby league team
's Puig Aubert
.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation
Rugby League International Federation
The Rugby League International Federation is the world governing body of rugby league football. It was formed in 1998 in Sydney, Australia. Its purpose is to, "foster, develop, extend, govern and administer the game of Rugby League throughout the world". Its headquarters are in Sydney, Australia,...
(RLIF). It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954
1954 Rugby League World Cup
The first Rugby League World Cup was held in France in 1954 and officially known as the "Rugby World Cup". The prime motivators behind the idea of holding a rugby league world cup were the French, who were short of money following the seizing of their assets by the rugby union in World War II.The...
. This was the first World Cup of either rugby code
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
and the first competition to be officially known as the "Rugby World Cup".
The most recent tournament was contested in Australia in 2008
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
and was won by New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
for the first time. In the thirteen tournaments held to date, three nations have won the competition (Australia nine times, Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
three times and New Zealand once) out of the seventeen total teams who haven taken part. Australia, France and New Zealand are the only teams to have played in all tournaments, with Great Britain being split into England
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
, Wales, Scotland and Ireland
Ireland national rugby league team
The Ireland national rugby league team, known as the Wolfhounds, represent the island of Ireland in rugby league football. The team is organized by Rugby League Ireland and are accredited as an affiliate member of the Rugby League International Federation...
since 1995. The next competition in 2013 will be in the England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and will form part of the UK's 'Golden Decade of Sport'
Since 2000, the RLIF has also organised World Cups for Women
Women's Rugby League World Cup
The Women's Rugby League World Cup is an international tournament for women to determine the best Rugby League playing nation in the world. It was first held in 2000 in Great Britain coinciding with the men's Rugby League World Cup, and will next be contested in Australia in 2008 as part of the...
, Students
Tertiary Student Rugby League World Cup
The Tertiary Student Rugby League World Cup, also known as the University Rugby League World Cup, first took place in 1986 in New Zealand, when the then five test nations each entered a side in what was the first non-first grade World Cup hosted by the Rugby League International Federation.The...
and other categories
Festival of World Cups
The Festival of World Cups was a series of rugby league World Cups held in Australia during 2008. The Festival was being staged in Australia during 2008 to coincide with their Centenary of Rugby League celebrations. The centrepiece of the Festival was the men's 2008 Rugby League World Cup...
.
History
The Rugby League World Cup was an initiative of the French, who had been campaigning for a Rugby League World Cup since 1935. The idea was further pursued in 1951 in post-war France, with the pioneer of the concept being Paul BarrièrePaul Barrière
Paul Barrière was born on 8 June 1920 in Espéraza and died on 29 May 2008 in Biarritz, aged 88. He was president of the Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII from 1947 to 1955.Barrière played rugby union for Espéraza in 1936 and Carcassone....
, the President of the French Rugby League
French rugby league championship
The French rugby league championship has been the major rugby league tournament for semi-professional and professional clubs in France and Monaco since the sport was introduced to the country in the thirties....
. In January 1952 the idea gained momentum as Rugby Football League
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
secretary Bill Fallowfield
Bill Fallowfield
William Fallowfield was a British rugby league football coach and administrator of the mid-20th century.In 1967 it was Fallowfield who devised the limited tackle rule to help improve the flow and speed of rugby league....
persuaded the Rugby League Council to support the concept. At a meeting held in Blackpool, England, November 1953, the International Board accepted Paul Barrière’s proposal that France should be the nation to host the first World Cup, the inaugural "World Cup" of either rugby code. In addition to the hosts, the tournament was intended to feature teams from Britain, Australia, New Zealand and America. The first World Cup
1954 Rugby League World Cup
The first Rugby League World Cup was held in France in 1954 and officially known as the "Rugby World Cup". The prime motivators behind the idea of holding a rugby league world cup were the French, who were short of money following the seizing of their assets by the rugby union in World War II.The...
was held the following year, with all invited teams playing except for America, and Great Britain defeated France in Paris on 13 November to claim the title.
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
, France
France national rugby league team
The France national rugby league team represent France in international rugby league tournaments. They are also sometimes referred to as "Les Tricolores" or more commonly "Les Chanticleers"...
and New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
. The teams played each other in a league
Sports league
League is a term commonly used to describe a group of sports teams or individual athletes that compete against each other in a specific sport. At its simplest, it may be a local group of amateur athletes who form teams among themselves and compete on weekends; at its most complex, it can be an...
format. After a final was played between the top two teams in 1954, it was decided that the team that finished first in the league standings would be declared the winner for the second World Cup in Australia in 1957. Australia proved victorious on their home ground.
After the successful 1960 competition, in which Great Britain won the title for the second time, there would be no further World Cup for eight years. The competition had been scheduled to be held in France in 1965, this time with the inclusion of the South African team
South Africa national rugby league team
The South Africa national rugby league team are a growing force in rugby league football, South Africa competes sporadically against other international nations because of their location and their absence from any major international competitions. They are ranked twenty-third in the world...
. However after an unsuccessful tour of Australia, the French withdrew. The tournament was next held in 1968, and followed a two-year cycle until the mid-1970s. The 1972 World Cup final ended in a 10-all draw, and the title was awarded to Great Britain by virtue of their superior record in the qualifiers.
In 1975 the competition underwent its most radical overhaul to date. It was decided to play matches on a home and away basis around the world, instead of in any one host nation. Furthermore, the Great Britain team was split into England and Wales. Australia won that tournament, and in 1977 it was decided that Great Britain should once more compete as a single entity. Although the final between Australia and Great Britain was a closely fought affair, public interest in the tournament waned due to the continuing tinkering with the format, and it would not be held again until the mid-1980s.
From 1985 to 1988, each nation played each other a number of times on a home and away basis. At the end of that period Australia met New Zealand at Eden Park
Eden Park
Eden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer . The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch is removable...
. The match was a physical encounter, and Australian captain Wally Lewis
Wally Lewis
Walter James "Wally" Lewis AM is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. Currently a commentator of the sport, he is widely regarded as the greatest rugby league player of all time...
played part of the match with a broken arm. The Kangaroos won the competition 25-12. This format was repeated from 1989–1992, and Australia won again, defeating Great Britain 10-6 at Wembley Stadium in front of 72,000 people. This crowd remains a Rugby League World Cup record.
In 1995
1995 Rugby League World Cup
The 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact that 1995 marked the 100th birthday of the sport...
the competition was once again restructured, and the largest number of teams to date (10) entered. New teams competing included Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
and South Africa. Due to the Super League war
Super League war
The Super League war is the common name given to the corporate dispute that was fought in and out of court during the mid-1990s between the Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation-backed Super League and the Kerry Packer and Optus Vision-backed Australian Rugby League organisations over broadcasting...
, players aligned with the rebel competition were not selected by the ARL to represent the Kangaroos. This meant the absence of many star players from the Australian team's line-up. The tournament, which was also held to celebrate the centenary of the sport in England, was highly successful with over 250,000 people attending the group stages and over 66,000 people attending the final to see Australia defeat England 16-8.
Following the Super League war
Super League war
The Super League war is the common name given to the corporate dispute that was fought in and out of court during the mid-1990s between the Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation-backed Super League and the Kerry Packer and Optus Vision-backed Australian Rugby League organisations over broadcasting...
, the subsequent re-structuring of rugby league's international governing bodies meant that the proposed 1998 World Cup was postponed.
The 2000 World Cup
2000 Rugby League World Cup
The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
expanded the field further, with 16 teams entering. Blown out score lines meant that this tournament was not as successful as the previous one. In the same year, the first Women's Rugby League World Cup
Women's Rugby League World Cup
The Women's Rugby League World Cup is an international tournament for women to determine the best Rugby League playing nation in the world. It was first held in 2000 in Great Britain coinciding with the men's Rugby League World Cup, and will next be contested in Australia in 2008 as part of the...
was held.
In 2008 Australia hosted the tournament again and New Zealand became only the third team to win the World Cup.
Trophy
Several trophies have been presented to the winners of the Rugby League World Cup.Original and current trophy
The original World Cup trophy, which is the one in use, was commissioned by the French Fédération Française de Rugby à XIIIFédération Française de Rugby à XIII
The French Rugby League Federation is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in France. The Federation was formed during 1934 and since then has organized and governed the French rugby league championship, the Lord Derby Cup and all of the clubs that are contained within those...
president Paul Barrière
Paul Barrière
Paul Barrière was born on 8 June 1920 in Espéraza and died on 29 May 2008 in Biarritz, aged 88. He was president of the Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII from 1947 to 1955.Barrière played rugby union for Espéraza in 1936 and Carcassone....
at a cost of eight million francs and then donated to the International Rugby League Board to be used for the inaugural competition in 1954. This trophy would be used and presented to the winning nation for the next four tournaments.
The trophy is currently housed at the New Zealand Rugby League Museum until 2013, which is located at Rugby League House, 7 Beasley Avenue, Penrose, Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand.
Theft of original World Cup trophy and recovery
While competing in the 1970 tournament, the reigning champions, Australia, put the trophy on display in the Midland Hotel, BradfordMidland Hotel, Bradford
The Midland Hotel is a 90-bedroom three-star Victorian hotel in Bradford City Centre, owned and managed by London-based Peel Hotels.The architect was Charles Trubshaw, who was contracted to design many stations for Midland Railway Company...
. The trophy was stolen six days before the final, on the night of Sunday, November 1, 1970 and remained unseen for the next 20 years.
Before its theft the trophy was last held aloft by Johnny Raper
Johnny Raper
John Raper, MBE is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He was a lock forward for the Australia national team. He had a record 33 test caps between 1959 and 1968 and played in 6 World Cup games between 1960 to 1968...
after Australia's 20-2 win over France at the Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
on 10 June 1968 to claim the fourth World Cup title.
However, the trophy was not the one which was due to be competed for and presented in the World Cup Final the following Saturday at Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
. With the commencement of sponsorship in the game, administrators had decided to play for a new sponsored trophy, whilst keeping the original safe and on display at the hotel in a symbolic capacity only.
Nothing was known of the trophy's whereabouts for the next 20 years. In 1990, a father-of-four named Stephen Uttley discovered the trophy amongst rubbish dumped in a ditch near the Bradford and Bingley Rugby Club, in Bingley
Bingley
Bingley is a market town in the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford, in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal...
. He was at the time unaware of the significance of his find.
Uttley made enquiries at local rugby clubs in Bradford, including Bradford Northern, without success. He turned the trophy in to the police but it was returned to him 28 days later after no-one had come forward to claim it. He tried contacting Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
's Calendar
Calendar (News)
Calendar is a regional television news and current affairs programme, produced by ITV Yorkshire at its studios in Leeds, serving Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and parts of the North Midlands and North West Norfolk...
programme about it but could not interest them in the story. There were plans that the trophy might be turned into a body building trophy at Uttley's local gym. Uttley was still determined to find the cup's owner, and contacted the local Telegraph & Argus newspaper who ran an article on it. The trophy was identified from this by rugby league historian Trevor Delaney, who notified the police, the paper and the Rugby Football League
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
(RFL) of the find.
Delaney and Uttley were concerned for the safety of the trophy, which was being kept at Uttley's council house
Council house
A council house, otherwise known as a local authority house, is a form of public or social housing. The term is used primarily in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Council houses were built and operated by local councils to supply uncrowded, well-built homes on secure tenancies at...
, believing it to be increasingly vulnerable due to the media attention placed on it. They were anxious it should be turned over to the authorities before it was stolen again.
On Friday, 1 June 1990, the trophy was presented to Roger Millward
Roger Millward
Roger Millward MBE is an English former rugby league footballer and coach of the mid to late 20th century. A goal-kicking , he gained a high level of prominence in the sport in England by playing for Hull KR and Castleford, as well as representing Great Britain...
representing the RFL outside the White Rose Health club in Bradford at 10:30am. The cup was then taken to the RFL's headquarters in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. Speaking on its return, RFL spokesman David Howes commented, "It is like the return of the Holy Grail. No-one knows what its value is, but in rugby league terms it is priceless". The RFL were pleased to offer a reward to Mr Uttley for the trophy's welcome return, offering "anything except a place in the team" Howes joked. Mr Uttley asked only for some tickets to matches.
The original World Cup trophy was brought back into use for the 2000 World Cup
2000 Rugby League World Cup
The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
minus the cockerel that had adorned it initially. It was presented to the victorious Australian team. The trophy featured again during the 2008 World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
, when it was used prominently as the basis for the competition logo. It is likely this trophy will be retained for the 2013 competition and thereafter.
Past trophies
While no trophy could be presented in 1970 due to the original's disappearance a few days before the final, several other trophies were used from 1972 until 1995.Format
The Rugby League World Cup has followed a varied range of formats throughout its history as the number of teams participating has increased.1954 to 1972 and 1977 format
From 1954 until 1972 the World Cup competition had only featured four teams in Australia, Britain, France and New Zealand; because of this a current format of World Cup would have been impractical. Instead the RLIF adopted a league format with a points system, with all four teams playing each other. The two teams with the most points after the designated matches played off in a finalFinal (competition)
The final of a competition is the match or round in which the winner of the entire event is decided.In sports competitions following a knockout system, where only two individuals or teams compete in each match, the final is usually played between the winners of two semi-finals...
to decide the champion
Champion
A champion is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition.There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, and even further divisions at one or more of these levels, as in soccer. Their champions...
. This style was re-introduced for the 1977 tournament
1977 Rugby League World Cup
- Final standings :-Final:Great Britain were the underdogs going to the final, which was held at the Sydney Cricket Ground. They managed to dominate the possession, and it took a last minute try from Australia’s John Kolc to secure the Cup in front of 24,457 spectators.Australia: Graham Eadie;...
.
1975 to 1992 format
For the 1975 tournament1975 Rugby League World Cup
The 1975 Rugby League World Cup was the seventh staging of rugby league football's World Cup tournament...
, a new format was introduced where no single country would host the world cup; rather each country playing in the tournament would host all home
Home (sports)
In sports, home is a term referring to both the city and stadium, arena, or field where an athletic team plays games at their venue, whilst when the team plays elsewhere then they are considered the away team. The home term can refer to either the sponsoring institution or the place where it is...
fixtures in their own country and play away in the country of their opposition. There was no final, with the team at the top of the points table being declared winner. This style of tournament saw a further three countries enter the cup under the league format; England, Papua New Guinea and Wales.
The home and away style was dropped for 1977, but was used for a further two world cups in the eighties, (1985-88 and 1989-92) which saw the length of the series stretched from 8 months in 1975 to 3 years.
Qualification since 1995
Since the 1995 tournament1995 Rugby League World Cup
The 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact that 1995 marked the 100th birthday of the sport...
the majority of teams have had to qualify for the World Cup tournament. There are 3 qualifying groups, European, Oceania and Pacific Islands and Atlantic. Teams start off playing in their respective group and attempt to qualify by. The remaining teams who are unsuccessful at qualifying in this fashion attempt to gain entry via the repêchage
Repechage
Repechage is a practice amongst ladder competitions that allows participants that failed to meet qualifying standards by a small margin to continue to the next round.- Types of repechage :...
rounds of the World Cup qualifiers.
groups of teams have been placed in a qualifying pool followed by a finals system. The top teams in each pool qualify into the next round.
In 1995, there were 10 teams split into one group of four, and two groups of three. The top two teams progressed in the group of four and the top team progressed from each of the groups of three into the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-finals progressed to the final.
Moldova, Russia, USA, Cook Islands, Morocco, Ireland and Scotland competed in a parallel Emerging Nations World Cup.
In 2000
2000 Rugby League World Cup
The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
, sixteen teams were split into four groups of four. The top two teams from each group progressed to the knockout quarter finals. The winners of the quarter finals played in the semi-final and the winners of the semi-finals progressed to the final.
The parallel Emerging Nations tournament was repeated with debuts from teams from Japan, Canada and Italy
The 2008 tournament
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
followed a similar format to the 1995 competition. The 10 teams were split into one group of four, and two groups of three. Three teams progressed into the semi-finals in the group of four and the winners of the two groups of three went to a playoff for a position in the semi-final. The winners of the semi-finals progressed to the final.
For the 2008 tournament five teams were granted automatic entry into the cup and therefore did not have to gain admission through the qualifying stages. These five teams included England and the original four that entered the World Cup between 1954 and 1992; Australia, France, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea national rugby league team
The Papua New Guinea national rugby league team represents Papua New Guinea internationally in the sport of rugby league football.In Papua New Guinea, Rugby league is highly popular and is regarded as the country’s national sport. The national side are known as the Kumuls...
and New Zealand.
The 2013 edition sees an expansion to 14 teams, comprising two groups of four and two groups of three. As in 2008, due to the groups of four consisting of more higher seeded sides, three nations from each will qualify for the quarter-finals where they will be joined by the two winners of the groups of three.
The host and format of the 2017 World Cup has not yet been decided. At the 2010 Rugby League International Federation
Rugby League International Federation
The Rugby League International Federation is the world governing body of rugby league football. It was formed in 1998 in Sydney, Australia. Its purpose is to, "foster, develop, extend, govern and administer the game of Rugby League throughout the world". Its headquarters are in Sydney, Australia,...
executive meeting the New Zealand Rugby League
New Zealand Rugby League
The New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....
made an early submission to co-host the 2017 tournament with Australia.
World Cup summaries
| Year | Host nation(s) | Teams | Final result | Final details | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Score | Runner-up | Venue | Attendance | |||||
| 1954 Details 1954 Rugby League World Cup The first Rugby League World Cup was held in France in 1954 and officially known as the "Rugby World Cup". The prime motivators behind the idea of holding a rugby league world cup were the French, who were short of money following the seizing of their assets by the rugby union in World War II.The... |
France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
4 | 16 - 12 | Parc des Princes Parc des Princes The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed... , Paris |
30,368 | ||||
| 1957 Details 1957 Rugby League World Cup The second Rugby League World Cup was held in Australia in 1957. As before a group stage was held first, with matches being held at locations in Sydney and Brisbane.... |
Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
4 | League | N/A | N/A | ||||
| 1960 Details 1960 Rugby League World Cup The 1960 Rugby League World Cup was the third staging of the tournament and the first Rugby league World Cup to be held in Great Britain. The same format as used in 1957 was used, with a group stage leading to a final table.... |
United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
4 | League | N/A | N/A | ||||
| 1968 Details 1968 Rugby League World Cup - Final standings :-Final:The final had been billed a 'debacle' following Great Britain's inexplicable loss to France in Auckland, leaving them to contest the final despite being beaten by Australia seven tries to none two days prior.... |
Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
4 | 20 - 2 | Sydney Cricket Ground Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian... , Sydney |
54,290 | ||||
| 1970 Details 1970 Rugby League World Cup The fifth Rugby League World Cup was held in Great Britain in 1970. Britain, fresh from defeating Australia in the Ashes, were hot favourites, and won all three of their group stage games. All the other nations lost two games each, and Australia qualified for the final largely on the back of an... |
United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
4 | 12 - 7 | Headingley Headingley Stadium Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie .... , Leeds Leeds Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial... |
18,776 | ||||
| 1972 Details 1972 Rugby League World Cup The sixth Rugby League World Cup was held in France in October and November of 1972. Australia started as the favourites to retain the trophy they had won just two years previously. New Zealand had beaten all three of the other nations in 1971 and France were expected to be tough opponents on their... |
France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
4 | 10 - 10 | Stade de Gerland, Lyon Lyon Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais.... |
4,500 | ||||
| 1975 Details 1975 Rugby League World Cup The 1975 Rugby League World Cup was the seventh staging of rugby league football's World Cup tournament... |
Worldwide | 5 | 25-0 | Headingley Stadium Headingley Stadium Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie .... , Leeds Leeds Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial... |
7,680 | ||||
| 1977 Details 1977 Rugby League World Cup - Final standings :-Final:Great Britain were the underdogs going to the final, which was held at the Sydney Cricket Ground. They managed to dominate the possession, and it took a last minute try from Australia’s John Kolc to secure the Cup in front of 24,457 spectators.Australia: Graham Eadie;... |
Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
4 | 13 - 12 | Sydney Cricket Ground Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian... , Sydney |
24,457 | ||||
| 1985–1988 Details |
Worldwide | 5 | 25 - 12 | Eden Park Eden Park Eden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer . The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch is removable... , Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... |
47,363 | ||||
| 1989–1992 Details |
Worldwide | 5 | 10 - 6 | Wembley Stadium, London | 73,631 | ||||
| 1995 Details 1995 Rugby League World Cup The 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact that 1995 marked the 100th birthday of the sport... |
United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
10 | 16 - 8 | Wembley Stadium, London | 66,540 | ||||
| 2000 Details 2000 Rugby League World Cup The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France... |
United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
16 | 40 - 12 | Old Trafford Old Trafford (football) Old Trafford is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 75,811, Old Trafford is the second-largest football stadium in England after Wembley, the third-largest in the United Kingdom and the eleventh-largest in Europe... , Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... |
44,329 | ||||
| 2008 Details 2008 Rugby League World Cup The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event... |
Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
10 | 34 - 20 | Suncorp Stadium Suncorp Stadium Lang Park is the original name of the site located in the Brisbane suburb of Milton, Queensland, Australia, now occupied by the major sports facility known by its sponsorship name, Suncorp Stadium... , Brisbane Brisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of... |
50,599 | ||||
| 2013 Details |
England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
14 | TBC | ||||||
| 2017 | TBC | TBC | TBC | ||||||
Successful national teams
Australia, France and New Zealand are the only nations who have appeared at every Rugby League World Cup from 1954 to 2008. England has also have been at all, but participated under the banner of Great Britain in the majority of the earlier tournaments. Wales, including as Great Britain, has competed in all but the 2008 tournament.Puig Aubert
Puig Aubert , was debatably the greatest French rugby league footballer of all-time Over a sixteen year professional career he would play for Carcassonne, XIII Catalan, Celtic de Paris and Castelnaudary winning five French championships and four French cups along with representing the French...
, New Zealand and England have also finished runners-up on two occasions.
Ireland and Wales have twice made it past the qualifying pool stages. Other nations to have proceeded to the knock-out stages in one tournament are Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Samoa.
The United States and Italy will compete in their first World Cup in 2013 after successfully qualifying in 2011
2013 Rugby League World Cup qualifying
Of the fourteen teams that will participate in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, only two are not automatic inclusions, so must win qualifying matches to enter the tournament, which is to be held in Wales and England...
.
The following list, are all the teams that have competed in a World Cup tournament since its inception; the number of times they have appeared; their most recent appearance; consecutive appearances and their highest result:
| Nation | Number of appearances | First appearance | Most recent appearance | Most consecutive cups | Best result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 1954 | 2008 | 13 | Champion, 1957; 1968; 1970; 1975; 1977; 1988; 1992; 1995; 2000 | |
| 9 | 1954 | 1992 | 6 | Champion, 1954; 1960; 1972 | |
| 13 | 1954 | 2008 | 13 | Champion, 2008 | |
| 13 | 1954 | 2008 | 13 | Runner-up, 1954; 1968; | |
| 4 | 1975 | 2008 | 3 | Runner-up, 1975; 1995 | |
| 3 | 1975 | 2008 | 2 | Semi-finalist, 1995; 2000 | |
| 3 | 1995 | 2008 | 3 | Semi-finalist, 2008 | |
| 2 | 2000 | 2008 | 2 | Quarter-finalist, 2000, 2008 | |
| 5 | 1988 | 2008 | 5 | Quarter-finalist, 2000 | |
| 3 | 1995 | 2008 | 3 | Quarter-finalist, 2000 | |
| 3 | 1995 | 2008 | 3 | Two wins, 2008 | |
| 2 | 2000 | 2008 | 2 | One win, 2008 | |
| 1 | 2000 | 2000 | 1 | One win, 2000 | |
| 2 | 1995 | 2000 | 2 | No games won | |
| 1 | 2000 | 2000 | 1 | No games won | |
| 1 | 2000 | 2000 | 1 | No games won | |
| 1 | 2000 | 2000 | 1 | No games won |
Awards
The top point scorer for each tournament is recognised with an official award by the Rugby League International FederationRugby League International Federation
The Rugby League International Federation is the world governing body of rugby league football. It was formed in 1998 in Sydney, Australia. Its purpose is to, "foster, develop, extend, govern and administer the game of Rugby League throughout the world". Its headquarters are in Sydney, Australia,...
. In the début tournament the highest point scorer was the France national rugby league team
France national rugby league team
The France national rugby league team represent France in international rugby league tournaments. They are also sometimes referred to as "Les Tricolores" or more commonly "Les Chanticleers"...
's Puig Aubert
Puig Aubert
Puig Aubert , was debatably the greatest French rugby league footballer of all-time Over a sixteen year professional career he would play for Carcassonne, XIII Catalan, Celtic de Paris and Castelnaudary winning five French championships and four French cups along with representing the French...
.
Overall Championships
| Championships | Nation |
|---|---|
| 9 |  Australia |
| 3 |  Great BritainGreat Britain national rugby league team The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions".... |
| 1 |  New ZealandNew Zealand national rugby league team The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name... |
Overall top pointscorers
| Points | Scorers |
|---|---|
| 112 | Mick Cronin Mick Cronin (rugby league) Michael William "Mick" Cronin OAM is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He was a goal-kicking centre for the Australian national team and a stalwart for the Parramatta Eels club. He played in 22 Tests and 11 World Cup matches between 1973 and 1982... |
| 108 | Michael O'Connor |
| 94 | / George FairbairnGeorge Fairbairn (rugby league) George Fairbairn is a Scottish former rugby league footballer and coach. He played club football for Wigan, winning the Man of Steel Award in 1980. Fairbairn was also the fullback and goal-kicker for the Great Britain national team, however he represented the English national team several times,... |
Most appearances
| Appearances | Individual |
|---|---|
| 25 | Kurt Sorenson |
| 17 | / John Atkinson; Bob Fulton Bob Fulton Robert "Bob" Fulton AM is an Australian rugby league football identity. Fulton played, coached, selected for and has commentated on the game with great success at the highest levels and has been named amongst Australia's greatest rugby league players of the 20th century.As a player Fulton won... |
| 15 | Mal Meninga Mal Meninga Malcolm Norman Meninga AM is an Australian former rugby league test captain and current coach of Queensland's State of Origin team. As a player he was a legendary goal-kicking centre, counted amongst the finest footballers of the 20th century... ; Michael O'Connor |
World Cup winning captains and coaches
| Year | Captain | Coach | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Dave Valentine Dave Valentine David Donald Valentine was a Scottish representative rugby union and Rugby League World Cup winning footballer, a dual-code rugby international of the 1940s and '50s.-Rugby union:... |
G Shaw | |
| 1957 | Dick Poole Dick Poole Herbert Richard Poole is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He was a centre for the Australian national team... |
Dick Poole Dick Poole Herbert Richard Poole is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He was a centre for the Australian national team... |
|
| 1960 | Eric Ashton Eric Ashton Eric Ashton MBE was an English professional Rugby League World Cup-winning footballer of the 1950s and '60s and later a coach. He played his whole first grade football career for Wigan along with at times both captaining and coaching them; his position of choice was right centre... |
William Fallowfield | |
| 1968 | Johnny Raper Johnny Raper John Raper, MBE is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He was a lock forward for the Australia national team. He had a record 33 test caps between 1959 and 1968 and played in 6 World Cup games between 1960 to 1968... |
Harry Bath Harry Bath Harry Bath , was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach who rose to prominence in the mid-Twentieth Century... |
|
| 1970 | Ron Coote Ron Coote Ron Coote AM is an Australian former representative rugby league player whose club career was played with the South Sydney and Eastern Suburbs, both of whom he won premierships with. He is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century... |
Harry Bath Harry Bath Harry Bath , was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach who rose to prominence in the mid-Twentieth Century... |
|
| 1972 | Clive Sullivan Clive Sullivan Clive A. Sullivan MBE was a Welsh rugby union and professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer of the 1960s, 70s and 80s. A Great Britain and Wales international winger, he played with both Hull and Hull Kingston Rovers in his career, and also played for Oldham, and Doncaster... |
Jim Challinor Jim Challinor James "Jim" P. Challinor was an English professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer of the 1950s and '60s, and coach of the 1960s and '70s, who at representative level played for Great Britain, and at club level for Warrington, and Barrow, playing at , or , i.e... |
|
| 1975 | Arthur Beetson Arthur Beetson Arthur Henry "Artie" Beetson, OAM , was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He represented Australia and Queensland from 1964 to 1981. His position was at prop. Beetson became the first Indigenous Australian to captain his country in any sport. and is frequently cited as the best... |
Graeme Langlands Graeme Langlands Graeme 'Changa' Langlands, MBE, is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach of the 1960s and 70s. He retired as the most-capped player for the Australian national team with 45 from 1963 to 1975, and captained his country in 15 Test matches and World Cup games. Langlands was the... |
|
| 1977 | Arthur Beetson Arthur Beetson Arthur Henry "Artie" Beetson, OAM , was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He represented Australia and Queensland from 1964 to 1981. His position was at prop. Beetson became the first Indigenous Australian to captain his country in any sport. and is frequently cited as the best... |
Terry Fearnley Terry Fearnley Terry Fearnley is an Australian former rugby league footballer and later coach. He was a long serving member of the NSWRFL's Eastern Suburbs team & , playing 144 matches for them at a bleak period in that club's existence. Injury kept him out of the 1960 grand final, one of the few successful... |
|
| 1988 | Wally Lewis Wally Lewis Walter James "Wally" Lewis AM is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. Currently a commentator of the sport, he is widely regarded as the greatest rugby league player of all time... |
Don Furner Don Furner Don Furner is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. As a player he represented Queensland on nine occasions and also toured with the 1956–57 Kangaroos.... |
|
| 1992 | Mal Meninga Mal Meninga Malcolm Norman Meninga AM is an Australian former rugby league test captain and current coach of Queensland's State of Origin team. As a player he was a legendary goal-kicking centre, counted amongst the finest footballers of the 20th century... |
Bob Fulton Bob Fulton Robert "Bob" Fulton AM is an Australian rugby league football identity. Fulton played, coached, selected for and has commentated on the game with great success at the highest levels and has been named amongst Australia's greatest rugby league players of the 20th century.As a player Fulton won... |
|
| 1995 | Brad Fittler Brad Fittler Bradley Scott "Freddie" Fittler AM is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. The current coach of NSW City team in the City vs. Country clash, he coached in the NRL for the Sydney Roosters between 2007 and 2009. As a player, Fittler captained both New South Wales... |
Bob Fulton Bob Fulton Robert "Bob" Fulton AM is an Australian rugby league football identity. Fulton played, coached, selected for and has commentated on the game with great success at the highest levels and has been named amongst Australia's greatest rugby league players of the 20th century.As a player Fulton won... |
|
| 2000 | Brad Fittler Brad Fittler Bradley Scott "Freddie" Fittler AM is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. The current coach of NSW City team in the City vs. Country clash, he coached in the NRL for the Sydney Roosters between 2007 and 2009. As a player, Fittler captained both New South Wales... |
Chris Anderson | |
| 2008 | Nathan Cayless Nathan Cayless Nathan Frederick Cayless is a retired New Zealand-Australian professional rugby league footballer, who was a long-time captain the Parramatta Eels of the National Rugby League. His position of choice was prop forward. He is also a former captain of the New Zealand national team, whom he led to... |
Stephen Kearney Stephen Kearney Stephen Peter Kearney, ONZM is a professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Parramatta Eels in the NRL as well as the New Zealand national team... |
|
See also
- Rugby League International FederationRugby League International FederationThe Rugby League International Federation is the world governing body of rugby league football. It was formed in 1998 in Sydney, Australia. Its purpose is to, "foster, develop, extend, govern and administer the game of Rugby League throughout the world". Its headquarters are in Sydney, Australia,...
- RLIF World RankingsRLIF World RankingsThe RLIF World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in the sport of rugby league football. The teams of the member nations of the Rugby League International Federation, rugby league football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful...
- List of International Rugby League Teams
- Emerging Nations TournamentRugby League Emerging Nations TournamentIn 1995 and 2000, the Rugby League International Federation held an Emerging Nations Tournament alongside the Rugby League World Cup. The competition was designed to allow teams who have failed to qualify for the World Cup proper a chance to play on the international stage....
- European Cup
- Mediterranean CupMediterranean CupThe Mediterranean Cup was an annual rugby league football tournament that was held in Lebanon although it also has been held in France. It was contested by Lebanon, France, Serbia and Morocco with the competition first conceived as a qualifying tournament for the 2000 Rugby League World Cup, and in...
- Pacific Cup
- Tri-NationsRugby League Tri-NationsThe Rugby League Tri-Nations was a rugby league tournament involving the top three nations in the sport: Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand...
- Tertiary Student Rugby League World CupTertiary Student Rugby League World CupThe Tertiary Student Rugby League World Cup, also known as the University Rugby League World Cup, first took place in 1986 in New Zealand, when the then five test nations each entered a side in what was the first non-first grade World Cup hosted by the Rugby League International Federation.The...
- Rugby League World Cup RecordsRugby League World Cup Records-Most World Cup Championships:-Biggest Wins:-Most Points In A Game:-Overall Top Pointscorers:-Most Appearances:-World Cup Winning Captains And Coaches:...
External links
- Official Rugby League World Cup Website
- Rugby League International Federation
- BBC website, History (1954–2000) retrieved 2 May 2006
- "RLIF Meeting", 2008 World Cup European Rugby League Federation, retrieved May 8, 2006
- "Kiwi hangover after the hype", 2013 World Cup retrieved 8 May 2006
- Rugby League World Cup at napit.co.uk