1977 Rugby League World Cup

8th Rugby League World Cup tournament May 2014 May 2020 1977 World Cup 150px 4 Australia New Zealand Australia 5 7 109688 235 GBR George Fairbairn (34) AUS Allan McMahon (4) AUS Graham Eadie (4) Rugby League World Cup 1975 1985–1988 The 1977 Rugby League World Cup was the eighth World Cup held for men's national rugby league teams and hosted in Australia and New Zealand and ran between 29 May and 25 June. Australia were Champions after beating Great Britain in the Final at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Teams 1977 Rugby League World Cup squads TeamNicknameCoachCaptain Australia (8th appearance) The Kangaroos Terry Fearnley Arthur Beetson New Zealand (8th appearance) The Kiwis Ron Ackland Tony Coll Great Britain (7th appearance) The Lions Reg Parker Roger Millward France (8th appearance) Les Chanticleers José Calle Yves Bégou Venues AUS Sydney AUS Brisbane Sydney Cricket Ground Lang Park Capacity: 70,000 Capacity: 35,000 250px 250px NZL Auckland NZL Christchurch Carlaw Park Addington Showground Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 15,000 250px 250px Tour games Great Britain and France arranged a number of tour games against local opposition during the World Championship, while Australia also played a short two-game tour for their visit to New Zealand. Great Britain Date Opponents Score Venue AttendanceLions World Cup Tour 1977 https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/lions-world-cup-tour-1977/summary.html Rugby League Project 9 August 2025 7 June Northern Maori style="text-align: center;" Won 18–14 Huntly 2,000 14 June Auckland style="text-align: center;" Lost 10–14 Auckland 26 June Monaro style="text-align: center;" Lost 12–33 Queanbeyan 17,500 30 June Queensland style="text-align: center;" Won 18–13 Brisbane 8,000 3 July North Queensland style="text-align: center;" Lost 14–17 Townsville 6,000 9 July New South Wales style="text-align: center;" Lost 5–35 Sydney 7,244 17 July Southern Division style="text-align: center;" Won 54–6 Gosford 6,000 France Date Opponents Score Venue AttendanceLes Chanticleers World Cup Tour 1977 https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/les-chanticleers-world-cup-tour-1977/summary.html Rugby League Project 9 August 2025 29 May Papua New Guinea style="text-align: center;" Lost 6–37 Port Moresby 14,000 31 May Brisbane style="text-align: center;" Lost 12–14 Brisbane 7 June Wellington style="text-align: center;" Won 8–0 Wellington 1,500 12 June Newcastle style="text-align: center;" Lost 12–19 Newcastle 5,136 14 June Toowoomba style="text-align: center;" Lost 10–14 Toowoomba 3,000 Australia Date Opponents Score Venue AttendanceKangaroos World Cup Tour 1977 https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/kangaroos-world-cup-tour-1977/summary.html Rugby League Project 9 August 2025 25 May South Island style="text-align: center;" Won 68–5 Christchurch 2,500 1 June Auckland style="text-align: center;" Lost 15–19 Auckland 10,000 Matches Group stage main WDL Q n points 2 AUS AUS GBR GBR NZL NZL FRA FRA 3 0 0 67 26 2 0 1 58 35 1 0 2 52 77 0 0 3 33 72 #cfc Advances to the Final A A complete 29 May NZL 12 – 27 AUS Carlaw Park, Auckland 18,000 5 June FRA 4 – 23 GBR Carlaw Park, Auckland 10,000 11 June AUS 21 – 9 FRA Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney 13,231 12 June NZL 12 – 30 GBR Addington Showground, Christchurch 9,000 18 June AUS 19 – 5 GBR Lang Park, Brisbane 27,000 19 June NZL 28 – 20 FRA Carlaw Park, Auckland 8,000 Final 1977 Rugby League World Cup final #eeeeee 25 June AUS 13–12 GBR Tries: Allan McMahon Russel Gartner John Kolc Goals: Michael Cronin (2/4) Tries: Steve Pitchford Ken Gill Goals: George Fairbairn (3/4) Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney 24,457 Billy Thompson ENG John Kolc Report _kangaroos _kangaroos1992 _kangaroos _thingoldsides _hoops_gold 023E00 023E00 023E00 023E00 023E00 Australia _GBR1 FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF Great Britain FB 1 Graham EadieRW 2 Allan McMahonRC 3 Michael CroninLC 4 Russel GartnerLW 5 Mark HarrisFE 6 John PeardHB 7 John KolcLK 8 Greg PierceSR 9 Ray HiggsSR 10 Arthur Beetson (c)PR 11 Terry RandallHK 12 Nick GeigerPR 13 Greg VeiversSubstitutions:IC 14 Denis FitzgeraldIC 15 Mark ThomasCoach:AUS Terry Fearnley FB 1 George FairbairnRW 2 Stuart WrightRC 3 John HolmesLC 4 Les DylLW 5 Bill FrancisSO 6 Roger Millward (c)SH 7 Steve NashLF 8 Phil HoganSR 9 Eddie BowmanSR 10 Len CaseyPR 11 Jimmy ThompsonHK 12 Keith ElwellPR 13 Steve PitchfordSubstitutions:IC 14 Ken GillIC 15 Peter SmithCoach:WAL David Watkins After their 19–5 win over Great Britain a week earlier at Lang Park in Brisbane (which actually drew 2,543 more fans than the Final), the Australians went into the Final as warm favourites. However, led by experienced captain Roger Millward, the Lions managed to dominate possession throughout the game, and it took a last minute try from Australian halfback John Kolc (playing his only international game for Australia) to secure the Cup in front of 24,457 spectators at the Sydney Cricket Ground. 1st Half The Australians opened the scoring through Allan McMahon who scored in the Paddington corner. Michael Cronin kicked the sideline conversion and Australia led 5–0. Great Britain soon his back with a try to Steve Pitchford. George Fairbairn converted the try to lock the scores at 5–5. The match was then highlighted by a 60-metre try to Australian centre Russel Gartner who pounced on a dropped ball from Lions fullback Fairbairn after a Great Britain scrum win to race away and score. Only converging defence from Gartner's opposite number Les Dyl kept him from scoring closer to the posts, giving Cronin a difficult conversion from midway between the posts and the touch line. Cronin missed the attempt and the Australians led 8–5. Fairbairn then kicked a penalty goal to make the scores 8–7 closing in on half time. Late in the first half the gritty and determined Lions were considered unlucky not to score when they were denied what would have been a certain try to winger Stuart Wright by English referee Billy Thompson. Wright had intercepted a pass from Cronin to Mark Harris 15 metres from the Australian line and was racing downfield with no one near him when Thompson called play back for an obstruction penalty to Great Britain rather than play advantage. Had Wright scored, and likely under the posts, it could have given the visitors a 12–8 lead going into the break. Instead, soon after Cronoin kicked a penalty goal from in front of the posts to make the score 10–7 going into half time. 2nd Half Australia took the lead out to 13–7 after a try to John Kolc in the Randwick corner in front of the Bradman Stand. Fairbairn had dropped a downfield kick by Cronin and the ball was pounced upon by Allan McMahon. From acting half, Kolc then dummied which fooled Fairbairn and Bill Francis and he raced away to score in the corner. Cronin missed the difficult kick from the sideline and the score remained at 13–7. The Lions then hit back with a try under the posts to replacement back Ken Gill which was converted by Fairbairn to bring the scores to 13–12. After Kolc was penalised for using an elbow on Roger Millward who was chasing his own chip-kick, Fairbairn then had a late chance to give Great Britain the lead with a penalty goal from 45 metres out, though his went just to the right of the posts into the waiting arms of Australian fullback Graham Eadie who took full advantage of the Lions defence line still being near halfway to run the ball back outside the Australian quarter line.1977 World Cup final highlights Try scorers 4 22em AUS Graham Eadie AUS Allan McMahon 3 22em GBR Roger Millward GBR Stuart Wright 2 22em FRA Jean-Jacques Cologni NZL Kevin Fisher NZL John Smith 1 22em AUS Denis Fitzgerald AUS Russel Gartner AUS Mark Harris AUS John Kolc AUS John Peard AUS Terry Randall AUS Mark Thomas AUS Greg Veivers FRA Jacques Guigue FRA Christian Laskawiec FRA Joël Roosebrouck GBR Eddie Bowman GBR Les Dyl GBR Ken Gill GBR Phil Hogan GBR George Nicholls GBR Steve Pitchford NZL Mark Graham NZL Chris Jordan NZL Alan Rushton NZL John Whittaker References External links 1977 World Cup at rlhalloffame.org.uk 1977 World Cup at rugbyleagueproject.com https://archive.today/20070804161455/http://www2.hunterlink.net.au/~maajjs/res/wcup1977.htm 1977 World Cup data at hunterlink.net.au el 1977 World Cup at 188-rugby-league.co.uk