1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup

9th Rugby League World Cup tournament May 2014 May 2020 1985–1988 World Cup 150px 5 Australia 6 18 218246 769 AUS Michael O'Connor (100) AUS Michael O'Connor (8) Rugby League World Cup 1977 1989–1992 The 1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup (sometimes shortened to 1988 Rugby League World Cup) was the ninth edition of the Rugby League World Cup. Unlike previous World Cups that were held over a couple of months, this World Cup was held over the course of three years with teams playing each other on a home and away basis. World Cup games were fitted into the normal international programme of three-match test series between the nations, with a pre-designated match from each series counting as the world cup fixture. The tournament culminated in the 1988 Rugby League World Cup final. France were unable to fulfil their 1987 tour of Australasia due to financial difficulties, and had to forfeit away fixtures against Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, who were invited to participate for the first time.Paddy 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 At the end of four years, Australia finished top of the table, and, through a victory over Great Britain in Christchurch, the Kiwis qualified to join them in the final. Despite finishing top of the table, poor international attendances since the mid-1970s meant the Australians declined to host the final, and asked New Zealand Rugby League to host the World Cup final at Eden Park in Auckland; Cup organisers and New Zealand officials accepted this request. In front of a record New Zealand attendance of over 47,000 the Kiwis lost 25–12 to the Australians. Venues AUS Sydney ENG Wigan AUS Brisbane ENG Leeds Sydney Football Stadium Central Park Lang Park Headingley Capacity: 40,000 Capacity: 37,000 Capacity: 32,500 Capacity: 22,000 200px 200px 200px 200px NZL Auckland PNG Port Moresby NZL Christchurch FRA Avignon Carlaw Park Lloyd Robson Oval Addington Showgrounds Parc des Sports Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 17,000 Capacity: 15,000 Capacity: 15,000 200px 200px 200px FRA Perpignan AUS Wagga Wagga FRA Carcassonne Stade Gilbert Brutus Eric Weissel Oval Stade Albert Domec Capacity: 13,000 Capacity: 12,000 Capacity: 10,000 200px 200px} Final The World Cup final was held at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand. NZL Auckland Eden Park Capacity: 48,000 250px Results 1985 7 July NZL 18 – 0 AUS Carlaw Park, Auckland 15,327 9 November GBR 6 – 6 NZL Elland Road, Leeds 22,209 7 December FRA 0 – 22 NZL Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan 5,000 1986 16 February FRA 10 – 10 GBR Parc des Sports, Avignon 4,000 29 July AUS 32 – 12 NZL Lang Park, Brisbane 22,811 17 August PNG 24 – 22 NZL Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby 15,000 4 October PNG 12 – 62 AUS Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby 17,000 This match was the third Test of the 1986 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France's Ashes series. 22 November GBR 15 – 24 AUS Central Park, Wigan 20,169 J. Rascagneres This was the final Test match of the 1986 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France. 13 December FRA 0 – 52 AUS Stade d'Albert Domec, Carcassonne 5,000 1987 24 January GBR 52 – 4 FRA Headingley, Leeds 6,567 24 October GBR 42 – 0 PNG Central Park, Wigan 9,121 15 November FRA 21 – 4 PNG Stade d'Albert Domec, Carcassonne 5,000 1988 1988 Great Britain Lions tour#Papua New Guinea 22 May PNG 22 – 42 GBR Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby 12,107 The victory lifted Great Britain above New Zealand into second place on the World Cup table on eight points – one ahead of the Kiwis.Schofield too hot for PNG http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?docID=news880522_0273_6126 14 February 2014 22 May 1988 1988 Great Britain Lions tour#3rd Ashes Test 9 July AUS 12 – 26 GBR Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney 15,944 This was the end of a 15-match winning streak for the Australians,Baker Andrew 100 years of rugby league: From the great divide to the Super era The Independent 20 August 1995 https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/100-years-of-rugby-league-from-the-great-divide-to-the-super-era-1597130.html 25 September 2009 and Great Britain's first Test victory over the Kangaroos since their 18–14 win at Odsal during the 1978 Kangaroo tour, as well as their first win in Australia for 18 years. It also put Great Britain on top of the World Cup points table.Best of British shocks Aussies https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qxQ-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=IkoMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5137,2151956 1 May 2011 Evening Times 9 July 1988 10 July NZL 66 – 14 PNG Carlaw Park, Auckland 8,392 1988 Great Britain Lions tour#New Zealand 17 July NZL 12 – 10 GBR Addington Showground, Christchurch 8,525 The last group stage match for both teams turned out to be a sudden death battle for a spot in the final. For New Zealand nothing less than a win would get them to the Final while Great Britain only needed a draw. It was also the last Test match of the 1988 Great Britain Lions tour. The Kiwis victory meant they qualified to face Australia in the final at Eden Park, Auckland. 20 July AUS 70 – 8 PNG Eric Weissel Oval, Wagga Wagga 11,685 Australia's 62-point win set a new record for largest winning margin in international rugby league. Winger Michael O'Connor also set a new record for most points scored by an individual in international rugby league.O'Connor helps set Test records https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=r3BVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fpYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3512,275171 18 October 2013 The Age 21 July 1988 The sellout crowd of 11,685 also set a ground attendance record at Wagga Wagga's Eric Weissel Oval.Rugby League World Cup – Roo Tour Memories: Allan Langer http://www.broncos.com.au/news-display/Rugby-League-World-Cup--Roo-Tour-Memories-Allan-Langer/86127 18 October 2013 broncos.com.au 18 October 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131019152038/http://www.broncos.com.au/news-display/Rugby-League-World-Cup--Roo-Tour-Memories-Allan-Langer/86127 19 October 2013 dead Tournament standings main WDL n Q points 2 AUS Australia NZL New Zealand GBR Great Britain PNG Papua New Guinea FRA France 6 0 2 252 91 5 1 2 158 86 4 2 2 203 90 2 0 6 84 325 1 1 6 35 140 complete France's 1987 away fixtures against Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea were scratched and each team awarded two points as the French were unable to tour Australasia that year due to financial difficulties. AUS AUS A A green2 Qualified for the World Cup final World Cup final 1988 Rugby League World Cup final #eeeeee 9 October 1988 14:30 NZL 12–25 AUS Tries: Kevin Iro Tony Iro Goals: Peter Brown (2/5) Tries: Allan Langer (2) Gavin Miller Dale Shearer Goals: Michael O'Connor (4/7) Field Goal: Ben Elias Eden Park, Auckland 47,363 RLWC 1985 – 1988: Australia at RLIF.co.uk Graham Ainui PNG Gavin Miller _whiteshoulders _NZKiwis _whiteshoulders _solid_black 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 New Zealand _kangaroos _kangaroos1992 _kangaroos _thingoldsides _hoops_gold 023E00 023E00 023E00 023E00 023E00 Australia FB 1 Gary MercerRW 2 Tony IroRC 3 Kevin IroLC 4 Dean Bell (c)LW 5 Mark EliaFE 6 Gary FreemanHB 7 Clayton FriendPR 8 Peter BrownHK 9 Wayne WallacePR 10 Adrian ShelfordSR 11 Mark GrahamSR 12 Kurt SorensenLF 13 Mark HoroSubstitutions:IC 14 Shane CooperIC 15 Sam StewartCoach:NZL Tony Gordon FB 1 Garry JackRW 2 Dale ShearerRC 3 Andrew FarrarLC 4 Mark McGawLW 5 Michael O'ConnorFE 6 Wally Lewis (c)HB 7 Allan LangerPR 8 Paul DunnHK 9 Benny EliasPR 10 Steve RoachSR 11 Paul SironenSR 12 Gavin MillerLF 13 Wayne PearceSubstitutions:IC 14 David GillespieIC 15 Terry LambCoach:AUS Don Furner The 1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup saw New Zealand play Australia in the World Cup final, the culmination of four years of competition. The Final was played at the spiritual home of rugby union in New Zealand, Auckland's Eden Park. It was the first time that rugby league had been played at the ground since 1919. The final attracted the highest ever crowd for a rugby league match in New Zealand of 47,363 (only 672 less than had attended the 1987 Rugby World Cup final at the venue).BBC Sport – Rugby league – England to face New Zealand in 2010 Four Nations opener Australia had won the right to host the final, but in the interests of promoting the game, and because attendances for internationals played in Australia had been dwindling for over a decade due to the Kangaroos dominance, the ARL agreed to move the game to New Zealand. Prior to kick-off Graham Brazier performed the New Zealand national anthem. Despite Australia's successful Ashes defence against Great Britain earlier in the year, the inexperience of the Australian World Cup final team (and because NZ had defeated Australia in their previous encounter in a one-off test in Brisbane in 1987), saw the hosts actually go into the match as favourites in the eyes of many critics. However, the Wally Lewis led Kangaroos, boasting veteran test players Garry Jack, Dale Shearer, Michael O'Connor, Steve Roach, Paul Dunn, Wayne Pearce, and Terry Lamb, along with 1986 Kangaroos Ben Elias and Paul Sironen, mixed with newer international players Mark McGaw, Allan Langer, Gavin Miller, Andrew Farrar and David Gillespie, triumphed over the ill-disciplined Kiwis, who at least made sure the victorious Australians were bloodied and bruised for their victory lap. For the Kiwis, the Iro brothers Tony and Kevin, Gary Freeman, Clayton Friend, Mark Graham, Adrian Shelford, Kurt Sorensen and captain Dean Bell dished out the punishment. Despite Queensland having won the State of Origin series 3–0 over New South Wales earlier in the year, the Maroons only supplied three of Australia's 15 players for the World Cup final. Captain Wally Lewis (who broke his right forearm in the 15th minute of the game while tackling Tony Iro), Dale Shearer and Allan Langer. Lewis later claimed that it was the same as had been the case since Origin started in 1980, Qld wins the series but it was mainly NSW players picked for Australia. Try scorers 8 22em AUS Michael O'Connor 6 22em AUS Dale Shearer 5 22em AUS Garry Jack AUS Wally Lewis 4 22em AUS Alan Langer GBR Shaun Edwards GBR Henderson Gill GBR Mike Gregory GBR Ellery Hanley GBR Garry Schofield NZL Kevin Iro PNG Dairi Kovae 3 22em NZL Shane Horo NZL Hugh McGahan NZL Darrell Williams 2 22em AUS Noel Cleal AUS Brett Kenny AUS Les Kiss AUS Bob Lindner AUS Mal Meninga AUS Gavin Miller AUS Gene Miles FRA David Fraisse GBR Phil Ford GBR Joe Lydon GBR Paul Medley NZL Gary Freeman NZL Clayton Friend NZL Mark Graham NZL Gary Mercer NZL Wayne Wallace PNG Darius Haili PNG Bal Numapo 1 22em AUS Sam Backo AUS Greg Conescu AUS Tony Currie AUS Steve Folkes AUS Wally Fullerton-Smith AUS Des Hasler AUS Chris Mortimer AUS Bryan Niebling AUS Steve Roach AUS Peter Sterling FRA Gilles Dumas FRA Cyril Pons FRA Hugues Ratier GBR Mark Forster GBR Andy Goodway GBR Andy Gregory GBR David Hulme GBR Paul Loughlin GBR Martin Offiah GBR David Stephenson NZL Peter Brown NZL Tony Iro NZL Gary Kemble NZL A'au James Leuluai NZL Joe Ropati NZL Adrian Shelford NZL Kurt Sorensen PNG Bobby Ako PNG Lauta Atoi PNG Arnold Krewanty PNG Michael Matmillo PNG Mea Morea PNG Isaac Rop References External links 1985–1988 World Cup at rlwc08.com 1985–1988 World Cup at rlhalloffame.org.uk 1985–1988 World Cup at rugbyleagueproject.com 1985–1988 World Cup data at hunterlink.net.au 1985–1988 World Cup at 188-rugby-league.co.uk