1972 Rugby League World Cup

Sixth Rugby League World Cup October 2025 May 2020 1972 World Cup the golf tournament 1972 World Cup (men's golf) 1972 World Cup 4 France Great Britain 3 7 62456 240 GBR John Holmes (26) AUS Bob Fulton (5) Rugby League World Cup 1970 1975 The sixth Rugby League World Cup was held in France in October and November 1972. Australia were the holders, while New Zealand had beaten all three of the other nations in 1971 and France were on their home soil. Great Britain won the title and levelled the score of World titles with the Australians at 3-3. The final was held at Stade Gerland in Lyon. Great Britain played Australia and, with scores level and unchanged after extra time, claimed the cup on league placing. This was the last World Cup to be played under the four-tackle rule. Squads 1972 Rugby League World Cup squads Venues Marseille Paris Toulouse Stade Vélodrome Parc des Princes Stadium Municipal Capacity: 55,000 Capacity: 48,712 Capacity: 37,000 200px 200px 200px Perpignan Pau Grenoble Stade Gilbert Brutus Stade du Hameau Stade Lesdiguières Capacity: 13,000 Capacity: 12,000 Capacity: 12,000 200px alt=Stade du Hameau - Pau|thumb|Stade du Hameau - Pau 200px Final Venue Lyon Stade de Gerland Capacity: 45,000 250px Results Group stage 1972 Rugby League World Cup group stage Ladder 28 October 1972FRA20 – 9NZLStade Vélodrome, Marseille 29 October 1972GBR27 – 21AUSStade Gilbert Brutus, Perpingnan 1 November 1972FRA4 – 13GBRStade Lesdiguières, Grenoble 1 November 1972AUS9 – 5NZLParc des Princes, Paris 4 November 1972GBR53 – 19NZLStade du Hameau, Pau 5 November 1972FRA9 – 31AUSStadium Municipal, Toulouse Final 1972 Rugby League World Cup final #eeeeee 11 November 1972 GBR 10–10(AET) yes AUS Tries: Clive Sullivan Mike Stephenson Goals: Terry Clawson (2) Tries: John O'Neill Arthur Beetson Goals: Ray Branighan (2) Stade de Gerland, Lyon 4,231 Georges Jameau FRA Report _GBRL _GBR1 _blue_stripes2 _red_stripes2 _britishlions12 FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF Great Britain _kangaroos _kangaroos1992 _kangaroos _thingoldsides _hoops_gold 023E00 023E00 023E00 023E00 023E00 Australia FB 1 Paul CharltonRW 2 Clive Sullivan (c)RC 3 Chris HeskethLC 4 John WalshLW 5 John AtkinsonSO 6 John HolmesSH 7 Steve NashPR 8 Terry ClawsonHK 9 Mike StephensonPR 10 David JeanesSR 11 Phil LoweSR 12 Brian LockwoodLF 13 George NichollsSubstitutions:IC 14 Bob IrvingIC 15Coach:ENG Jim Challinor FB 1 Graeme Langlands (c)RW 2 John GrantRC 3 Mark HarrisLC 4 Geoff StarlingLW 5 Ray BranighanFE 6 Bob FultonHB 7 Dennis WardPR 8 John O'NeillHK 9 Elwyn WaltersPR 10 Bob O'ReillySR 11 Arthur BeetsonSR 12 Gary StevensLK 13 Gary SullivanSubstitutions:IC 14 Fred JonesIC 15Coach:AUS Harry Bath The French public seemed uninterested in a final that did not involve the home team, as just over 4,200 spectators turned up. The game will always be remembered by the British for their captain Clive Sullivan's wonderful long distance tryWright J Rugby League's Greatest Ever Full-back http://www.timesandstar.co.uk/home/rugby-league-s-greatest-ever-full-back-1.9513?referrerPath=news/election 24 June 2012 Times & Star 23 August 2007 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20131224082929/http://www.timesandstar.co.uk/home/rugby-league-s-greatest-ever-full-back-1.9513?referrerPath=news%2Felection 24 December 2013Paddy McAteer (22 December 2010) "Whole World in their Hands" https://web.archive.org/web/20121005172123/http://www.nwemail.co.uk/sport/whole-world-in-their-hands-1.793415?referrerPath=sport%2F 5 October 2012 North West Evening Mail and by the Australians for perhaps "the greatest try never scored",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 later shown on TV to be legitimately scored by Australian fullback Graeme Langlands but disallowed by French referee Georges Jameau. Chesterton Ray Langlands denied greatest try ever The Daily Telegraph Australia News Limited 24 October 2008 http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/langlands-denied-greatest-try-ever/story-e6frexpr-1111117838326 6 February 2011 Mike Stephenson scored the 73rd-minute try that helped Great Britain level the scores and secure the World Cup. Hughes Ed Caught in Time: Great Britain prepare for 1972 rugby league World Cup final The Sunday Times UK Times Newspapers Ltd 31 October 2004 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/article500970.ece 18 October 2010September 2024 medicmedic Had Aussie winger Ray Branighan succeeded with a 79th-minute penalty or Bob Fulton landed one of three drop goal attempts in the last five minutes, the cup could easily have gone to Australia. But for the first time in the competition's history the scores were level at full-time. An additional twenty minutes extra time was played, but no further score resulted, and Great Britain were awarded the cup by virtue of a better position in the table. Try scorers 5 22em AUS Bob Fulton 4 22em GBR Clive Sullivan 3 22em GBR John Atkinson GBR Phil Lowe GBR Mike Stephenson 2 22em AUS Mark Harris AUS John O'Neill AUS Paul Sait FRA Jean-Marie Bonal FRA Andre Ruiz GBR John Holmes NZL Phillip Orchard NZL John Whittaker 1 22em AUS Arthur Beetson AUS Tommy Raudonikis AUS Elwyn Walters AUS Dennis Ward GBR Paul Charlton GBR Chris Hesketh GBR David Jeanes GBR Steve Nash GBR George Nicholls GBR Dennis O'Neill NZL Mocky Brereton NZL Bill Burgoyne NZL Tony Coll NZL Murray Eade NZL Dennis Williams Tour games After the World Championship, Australia and New Zealand arranged short three-game tours against English clubs. Australia Date Opponents Score Venue AttendanceKangaroos World Cup Tour 1972 https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/kangaroos-world-cup-tour-1972/summary.html Rugby League Project 10 August 2025 15 November St Helens style="text-align: center;" Won 24–9 St Helens 9,311 17 November Wigan style="text-align: center;" Drew 18–18 Wigan 6,300 19 November Bradford Northern style="text-align: center;" Won 29–16 Bradford 2,820 New Zealand Date Opponents Score Venue AttendanceKiwis World Cup Tour 1972 https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/kiwis-world-cup-tour-1972/summary.html Rugby League Project 10 August 2025 15 November Leeds style="text-align: center;" Lost 6–11 Leeds 17 November Huddersfield style="text-align: center;" Won 32–2 Huddersfield 19 November Salford style="text-align: center;" Lost 4–50Kiwis were too bad to be true https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19721121.2.192 The Press 21 November 1972 Christchurch 30 Salford References External links 1972 World Cup at rlhalloffame.org.uk 1972 World Cup at rugbyleagueproject.com 1972 World Cup final at eraofthebiff.com When Great Britain won the World Cup at bbc.co.uk 1972 World Cup final at timesonline.co.ukJanuary 2025 medicmedic https://archive.today/20070804161455/http://www2.hunterlink.net.au/~maajjs/res/wcup1972.htm 1972 World Cup data at hunterlink.net.au el 1972 World Cup at 188-rugby-league.co.uk