1977 Rugby League World Cup

Last updated

1977 (1977) World Cup  ()
Number of teams4
Host countriesFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
WinnerFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia (5th title)

Matches played7
Attendance109,688 (15,670 per match)
Points scored235 (33.57 per match)
Top scorer Flag of the United Kingdom.svg George Fairbairn (34)
Top try scorers Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan McMahon (4)
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Graham Eadie (4)
 < 1975

The 1977 Rugby League World Cup was the eighth Rugby League World Cup tournament and was held in Australasia, with games played during May and June in both Australia and New Zealand. It featured four teams: Great Britain and France in addition to the two host nations. All teams played each other once, resulting in a top two of Great Britain and Australia who played in the tournament final at the Sydney Cricket Ground with the home team winning by one point.

Contents

The tournament was held during the 1977 NSWRFL season and 1977 New Zealand rugby league season.

Teams

TeamNicknameCoachCaptain
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia (8th appearance)The Kangaroos Terry Fearnley Arthur Beetson
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand (8th appearance)The Kiwis Ron Ackland Tony Coll
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain (7th appearance)The Lions Reg Parker Roger Millward
Flag of France.svg  France (8th appearance)Les Chanticleers José Calle Yves Bégou

Venues

Flag of Australia (converted).svg Sydney Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brisbane
Sydney Cricket Ground Lang Park
Capacity: 70,000Capacity: 35,000
Sydney Showground and Cricket Ground 1936 (14019783946).jpg Suncorp-Stadium-Milton-Queensland.jpg
Flag of New Zealand.svg Auckland Flag of New Zealand.svg Christchurch
Carlaw Park Addington Showground
Capacity: 20,000Capacity: 15,000
Carlaw Park.jpg Addington Rugby Stadium.jpg

Matches

Group stage

TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPtsQualification
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 33006726+416Advances to the Final
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 32015835+234
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 31025277252
Flag of France.svg  France 30033372390
Source: [ citation needed ]
29 May
New Zealand  Flag of New Zealand.svg12 – 27Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Carlaw Park, Auckland
Attendance: 18,000
5 June
France  Flag of France.svg4 – 23Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
Carlaw Park, Auckland
Attendance: 10,000
11 June
Australia  Flag of Australia (converted).svg21 – 9Flag of France.svg  France
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Attendance: 13,231
12 June
New Zealand  Flag of New Zealand.svg12 – 30Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
Addington Showground, Christchurch
Attendance: 9,000
18 June
Australia  Flag of Australia (converted).svg19 – 5Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
Lang Park, Brisbane
Attendance: 27,000
19 June
New Zealand  Flag of New Zealand.svg28 – 20Flag of France.svg  France
Carlaw Park, Auckland
Attendance: 8,000

Final

25 June
Australia  Flag of Australia (converted).svg13–12Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
Tries:
Allan McMahon
Russel Gartner
John Kolc
Goals:
Michael Cronin (2/4)
[1]
Tries:
Steve Pitchford
Ken Gill

Goals:
George Fairbairn (3/4)
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Attendance: 24,457
Referee: Billy Thompson Flag of England.svg
Player of the Match: John Kolc Australian colours.svg
Kit left arm kangaroos.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body kangaroos1992.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm kangaroos.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts thingoldsides.png
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks hoops gold.png
Kit socks long.svg
Australia
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body GBR1.png
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Great Britain
FB1 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Graham Eadie
RW2 Balmain colours.svg Allan McMahon
RC3 Parramatta colours.svg Michael Cronin
LC4 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Russel Gartner
LW5 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Mark Harris
FE6 Parramatta colours.svg John Peard
HB7 Parramatta colours.svg John Kolc
LK8 Cronulla colours.svg Greg Pierce
SR9 Parramatta colours.svg Ray Higgs
SR10 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Arthur Beetson (c)
PR11 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Terry Randall
HK12 Norths Devils colours.svg Nick Geiger
PR13 Western Suburbs colours.svg Greg Veivers
Substitutions:
IC14 Parramatta colours.svg Denis Fitzgerald
IC15
Coach:
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Terry Fearnley
FB1 Wigancolours.svg George Fairbairn
RW2 Widnes colours.svg Stuart Wright
RC3 Rhinoscolours.svg John Holmes
LC4 Rhinoscolours.svg Les Dyl
LW5 Wigancolours.svg Bill Francis
SO6 HKRcolours.svg Roger Millward (c)
SH7 Redscolours.svg Steve Nash
LF8 Barrowcolours.svg Phil Hogan
SR9 Workingtoncolours.svg Eddie Bowman
SR10 HKRcolours.svg Len Casey
PR11 Fevcolours.svg Jimmy Thompson
HK12 Widnes colours.svg Keith Elwell
PR13 Rhinoscolours.svg Steve Pitchford
Substitutions:
IC14 Redscolours.svg Ken Gill
IC15 Fevcolours.svg Peter Smith
Coach:
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg 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 Australian's 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 Australian's 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. [2]

Try scorers

4
3
2
1

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