1968 Rugby League World Cup

4th Rugby League World Cup tournament May 2014 May 2020 1968 World Cup 4 Australia New Zealand Australia 2 7 220683 227 AUS Eric Simms (56) AUS Lionel Williamson (4) AUS Ron Coote (4) GBR Clive Sullivan (4) Rugby League World Cup 1960 1970 The 1968 Rugby League World Cup was the fourth World Cup for men’s national teams and was held between 25 May and 10 June and for the first time co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Australia were the Champions after they defeated France in the final. Background The World Cup was initially set to be played in 1965 however, the Australian Board of Control recommended postponing the tournament to which the English Rugby League Council agreed in November 1964.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19641103.2.221 England Agrees To Postpone Rugby League World Cup The Press 3 November 1964 CIII 30588 19 It was thought that South Africa might finally debut at the world cup, especially after they defeated New Zealand by one point in a non-test match at the end of their 1963 tour of Australia and New Zealand.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19630813.2.218 South Africa Ready for World League The Evening Post 13 August 1963 23 The South African squad contained several Australian players who replaced South African's injured earlier in the tour though.Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909–2009, 2009. 978-1-86969-366-4. However, the New Zealand Rugby League council did not support a World Cup entry from South Africa thinking them not ready and unable to draw sufficient spectators.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19631120.2.211 Rugby League World Cup Series The Evening Post 20 November 1963 30 For the first time a final to determine the World Cup was specifically pre-arranged (previous finals having only been used when teams finished level on points) and the tournament made a profit for the first time. A total of $120,000 in profit (it grossed $175,000 from five matches in Australia and $60,000 from two matches in New Zealand) was made and was shared among the four competing nations.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19680619.2.87 $120,000 profit The Press 19 June 1968 CVIII 31709 15 The 1968 World Cup was the first to be played under limited tackles rules, the number then being four tackles. The round 1 match between Great Britain and Australia attracted an attendance of 62,256, the highest for a World Cup match until 1992.McCann, 2006: 83 The final was held at the Sydney Cricket Ground; a crowd of 54,290 watched Australia defeat France. The stars of the Australian team in the tournament were skipper Johnny Raper, second-rower Ron Coote, who scored spectacular tries in each and every game, and the dead-shot kicker Eric Simms, who harvested a record 25 goals (50 points). Squads 1968 Rugby League World Cup squads Venues AUS Sydney AUS Brisbane NZL Auckland Sydney Cricket Ground Lang Park Carlaw Park Capacity: 70,000 Capacity: 40,000 Capacity: 20,000 200px 200px 200px Group Stage main WDL n Q points 2 AUS AUS FRA FRA GBR GBR NZL NZL 3 0 0 93 26 2 0 1 26 49 1 0 2 50 46 0 0 3 36 84 A A green2 Qualified for the World Cup final complete 25 May NZL 10 – 15 FRA Carlaw Park, Auckland 18,000 Col Pearce (AUS) France: Jean-Claude Cros; Daniel Pellerin, Michel Molinier, Jean-Pierre Lecompte, André Ferren; Jean Capdouze, Roger Garrigue; Georges Ailleres (c), Yves Bégou, Christian Sabatié, Francis de Nadaï, Henri Marracq, Jean-Pierre Clar New Zealand: R Tait; R Mincham, H Sinel, P Schultz, E Wiggs; J Bond (c), J Clarke; O Danielson, Colin O'Neil, George Smith, B Lee, J Dixon, A Kriletich; Henry Tatana. After only twelve minutes, New Zealand second-rower Brian Lee was sent off in a match in which the classy French stand-off Jean Capdouze bagged 13 points. The game was also notable for the first World Cup substitution when Adolphe Alésina replaced second-rower Francis de Nadaï. 25 May AUS 25 – 10 GBR Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney 62,256 John Percival NZL A record World Cup crowd of 62,256 saw New Zealand referee John Percival mercilessly penalising Great Britain, with debutant full-back Eric Simms booting a record eight goals in Australia's win.1968 RLWC Australia vs Great Britain 1 June AUS 31 – 12 NZL Lang Park, Brisbane 23,608 Simms repeated the feat of kicking eight goals as he had in the previous match as Australia eventually killed off New Zealand at Brisbane after trailing for much of the game. 2 June FRA 7 – 2 GBR Carlaw Park, Auckland 15,760 France surprised Britain in a rain-ruined match at Auckland with an uncharacteristically stubborn defensive display and winger Jean-René Ledru, scoring the winning try to qualify for a World Cup final showdown against Australia. 8 June AUS 37 – 4 FRA Lang Park, Brisbane 32,664 In the final preliminary game in Brisbane, Australia's scrum-half back Billy Smith dropped three goals. French winger Jean-René Ledru and Australia's prop Artie Beetson were both sent off. 8 June GBR 38 – 14 NZL Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney 14,105 Final 1968 Rugby League World Cup final The final had been billed a 'debacle' following Great Britain's inexplicable loss to France in Auckland, resulting in France contesting the final against Australia despite having been beaten by Australia seven tries to none two days prior. Rugby league debacle The Age 21 10 June 1968 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=u3wQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fJMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5549,1891993 6 October 2009 Nonetheless, it attracted a record crowd of 54,290 for a World Cup final match. #eeeeee 10 June 1968 AUS 20–2 FRA Try: Lionel Williamson (2) Ron Coote Johnny Greaves Goals: Eric Simms (4) Try: Goals: Field Goals: Jean Capdouze (1) Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney 54,290 John Percival NZL John Wittenberg Report _kangaroos _kangaroos54 _kangaroos _thingoldsides _hoops_gold 023E00 023E00 023E00 023E00 023E00 Australia _francerl54 _francerl54 _francerl54 _2whitestripes 0000CD 0000CD 0000CD FFFFFF FF0000 France FB 1 Eric SimmsLW 2 Johnny RhodesRC 3 Graeme LanglandsLC 4 Johnny GreavesRW 5 Lionel WilliamsonFE 6 Bob FultonHB 7 Billy SmithLK 8 Johnny Raper (c)SR 9 Ron CooteSR 10 Dick ThornettPR 11 Arthur BeetsonHK 12 Fred JonesPR 13 John WittenbergSubstitutions:IC 14IC 15 Elton RasmussenCoach:AUS Harry Bath FB 1 Jean-Claude CrosRW 2 Daniel PellerinRC 3 Jacques GruppiLC 4 Jean-Pierre LecompteLW 19 Jean-René LedruFE 6 Jean CapdouzeHB 7 Roger GarriguePR 8 Christian SabatiéHK 9 Yves BégouPR 10 George Ailleres (c)SR 11 Francis de NadaïSR 12 Henri MarracqLF 13 Jean-Pierre ClarSubstitutions:IC 14IC 16 Jacques GruppiCoach:FRA Jep Lacoste The undefeated Australians went into the tournament decider as favourites.Kdouh Fatima We take a look back at the greatest Rugby League World Cup finals of all time http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/we-take-a-look-back-at-the-greatest-rugby-league-world-cup-finals-of-all-time/story-fni2flhh-1226771460587 23 December 2013 The Daily Telegraph 28 November 2013 However France offered stern resistance and held the Australians to 0–7 at half-time and with quarter of an hour were only 0–12 down before losing 2–20. It was Australia's second World Cup title. Try scorers 4 22em AUS Ron Coote AUS Lionel Williamson GBR Clive Sullivan 3 22em NZL Paul Schultz 2 22em AUS Bob Fulton AUS Johnny Greaves AUS Johnny King AUS Billy Smith GBR Ian Brooke GBR Alan Burwell 1 22em AUS Fred Jones AUS Johnny Raper FRA Jean Capdouze FRA Jean-René Ledru GBR Arnie Morgan GBR Mick Shoebottom NZL Spencer Dunn References Inline General McCann Liam 2006 Rugby: Facts, Figures and Fun AAPPL https://books.google.com/books?id=CDk7MpyX4jUC 978-1-904332-54-1 McCann2006 6 July 2009 External links 1968 World Cup at rlhalloffame.org.uk 1968 World Cup at rlwc2008.com 1968 World Cup at rugbyleagueproject.com 1968 World Cup at 188-rugby-league.co.uk