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With the Rugby League World Cup just hours away from kick-off, it’s time to reflect on some of the great moments from ones gone by.
From terrific tries, unreal upsets and spectacular attacking raids, it makes you wonder why we have to wait so long for this amazing tournament to come around.
Australia will be favourites to win the men’s title for the third time in a row but with New Zealand, Tonga, England and Samoa also fielding teams laden with talent, a new slice of history could be written.
The first-ever Rugby League World Cup was held in France in 1954. The French had been pushing for the tournament since 1935, with the campaign led by the boss of Federation Francaise, Paul Barriere.
The international board finally agreed in 1953 to start a World Cup and gave France the hosting rights. They were joined by Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand for the inaugural World Cup.
Six matches were played during the tournament with France going on to lose the final to Great Britain 16-12.
2017 – Australia
2013 – Australia
2008 – New Zealand
2000 – Australia
1995 – Australia
1989-92 – Australia
1985-88 – Australia
1977 – Australia
1975 – Australia
1972 – Great Britain
1970 – Australia
1968 – Australia
1960 – Great Britain
1957 – Australia
1954 – Great Britain
Peter Sterling out of dummy half passes it to Wayne Pearce. He passes to Michael O’Connor who gets it away to Greg Conescu. He offloads to Wally Lewis who passes to Sam Backo who quickly gives it straight back to the King who has run around behind him.
Lewis makes a break through the English defence before passing back into Garry Jack. The fullback offloads mid-tackle to Andrew Ettingshausen who pushes off a defender to score a classic Kangaroos try.
Back in 2000, the Kangaroos absolutely annihilated the Russians (yes, the Russians) 110-4.
The game looked like a training run for the Aussies, crossing over for a whopping 19 tries. Wendell Sailor grabbed four while Ryan Girdler scored a hat-trick. Nathan Hindmarsh, Trent Barrett and Jason Croker scored doubles, with Andrew Johns, Matthew Gidley, Bryan Fletcher, Adam MacDougall Gorden Tallis and Shane Webcke all walking away with one.
The game still holds the records for biggest winning margin and most points scored in a Rugby League World Cup game.
With many familiar stars missing thanks to the Super League war, the ’95 Kangaroos looked quite different than usual.
One of the fresh faces to take advantage of the extra space in the team and wear the green and gold was 21-year-old Andrew Johns.
While only getting 11 minutes in Australia’s opening match loss to England, he really announced himself to the world throughout the rest of the tournament.
He equalled the record for the most points in a World Cup game with 30 and took home the Man of the Match award in the Kangaroos’ 86-6 thrashing of South Africa, scored another 22 points and won the happy meal voucher again in their 66-0 win over Fiji, and played like a Test veteran in Australia’s 16-8 win against England in the Final.
And yes, he won man of the match in that game too.
Brad Fittler and Andrew Johns of Australia hold the 1995 World Cup trophy. (Photo by Mark Leech/Getty Images)
Just before the Kangaroos defeated Great Britain 12-7 in the 1970 World Cup Final, the trophy was stolen from the Australian team’s hotel. They had the 25-kilo Cup on display at the Midland Hotel in Bradford as the reigning champions, but it was swiped by someone very brave and obviously very strong.
It was discovered 20 years later at a local tip not far from the hotel. No one knew what it was until writer and historian Trevor Delaney came forward and solved the mystery.
To this day the thief has never been found, but thankfully the trophy was able to be used for the 2000 World Cup, and it will be completely restored as good as new for this World Cup.
Remembering this try makes me sad Jason Taumalolo will miss the first three matches due to suspension.
It was a very exciting semi-final match that saw England hold on against Tonga to advance to their first final in 22 years. But it was a try from the losing side that stole the headlines.
The Tongans played the ball on the 30m during their 2017 World Cup match against England. The ball finds JT13, who steamrolls over the top of Gareth Widdop, puts a solid ‘don’t argue’ on the chin of another defender, and busts his way through to run 60 metres.
He offloads on the inside to a flying Tui Lolohea, who sprints away to score under the posts. With the crowd going nuts the commentator screams, “Are you serious?!” in disbelief at what he just witnessed.
There aren’t too many things better in rugby league than Taumalolo in full flight.
Having won every World Cup since 1975, Australia were the red-hot favourites to take out the title once again in 2008, this time on home soil.
As expected, they made their way comfortably to the Final and were certainties to win against their opponents, New Zealand.
Not long into the match, the Kangaroos were up 10-0, and all was going to plan. A disallowed Darren Lockyer try seemed to cause a momentum shift, and the Kiwis found their rhythm. The scoreboard read 16-12 at half-time in favour of the Aussies but New Zealand knew they were now in with a shot.
In one of the most exciting second halves in a World Cup Final, New Zealand stole the lead with two quick tries, including a runaway Benji Marshall four-pointer off a Billy Slater blunder.
The Aussies hit back through a Greg Inglis try in the corner and reduced the deficit to just two points. But in the 70th minute, Lance Hohaia was awarded a penalty try after he copped a swinging arm from Joel Monaghan, and shortly after Adam Blair crossed over for the Kiwis to secure a 34-20 win.
It’s still known as one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.
In the 2017 World Cup match between Australia and Samoa, Billy Slater manages to get out of the in-goal and plays the ball just in front of the Kangaroos’ try line. Holmes jumps in at dummy half, fakes a pass and puts on a sprint.
He makes it to the 30-metre line and passes it inside to Cooper Cronk who immediately passes it back. Holmes pins the ears back and sprints another 70 metres to score in the corner.
In the 2013 World Cup, Jordan Rapana was representing the Cook Islands. They were trailing in the match against Tonga 22-16 with just over 10 minutes left when the ball found an unmarked Rapana on the wing.
All that was needed to score a try and potentially lock up the game was for Rapana to take a few steps forward and place the ball down. But somehow he managed to knock it with his knee, and send it flying over the sideline.
No one could believe what just happened, and the commentator cried, “All he had to do was put the ball down!” Rapana was devastated, and the score remained unchanged for Tonga to claim victory.
The 1975 match between Wales and New Zeland sparked one of the most controversial moments in World Cup history.
With both teams out of finals contention, the two nations were playing only for pride. Despite Wales winning in a tight game 25-24, the match was marred by Welshman Jim Mills stomping on the face of Kiwi John Greengrass after he had scored a try.
Mills was immediately sent off and received a two-month suspension. He faced further punishment as he was never allowed to play on New Zealand soil ever again.
Funnily enough, both Mills and Greengrass are now really good mates.
There were emotional and heartwarming scenes at the end of the 2017 semi-final between the Australia and Fiji.
After the Kangaroos defeated Fiji, 54-6 both teams, coaches, staff, and a few children of the players formed a massive circle in the middle of the field.
The Fijians began to sing a beautiful native hymn, with the Aussies joining in and clapping along.
After the song, everyone bowed their head while Kevin Naiqama said a few words, and then the players walked around embracing each other.
It demonstrated exactly what the World Cup stands for, as well as showing that rugby league is so much more than just a game.
In the 2013 match between New Zealand and England, Kiwi playmaker Kieran Foran kicks out to his winger on the last tackle who knocks it back in field for Simon Mannering to keep alive. It goes through another four sets of hands before finding Isacc Luke who throws a long cut out pass that almost goes out the other sideline.
No matter how you try to word this next part, it will never do it justice. Dean Whare chases the ball before it goes over, somehow grabs it and miraculously manages to flick it back into the field of play before stepping over the sideline. The ball is caught by Roger Tuivasa-Sheck who crosses for New Zealand’s first try of the match.
This was another Kiwi try that had everyone up on their feet.
In the 2017 semi-final between New Zealand and Tonga, the Kiwis played the ball on the last just 10 metres from the Tongan try-line. A few passes left finds Kodi Nikorima who tries to get through the defensive line and manages an offload.
The ball is brought back inside to Whare, it goes through a few more sets of hands, it’s thrown back by Nelson Asofa-Solomona, missed by the hooker but scooped up by RTS who comes screaming through, weaves his way through traffic and finishes off an exceptional try.
Tell me again why we wait so long between World Cups?!
Brad Fittler claims widening State of Origin eligibility rules to include Australian-raised New Zealand and England players will benefit both the domestic and international game.
If you followed the recent Rugby League World Cup, you’ll probably have noted that the tournament has both passionate supporters and vocal detractors.
Since the Super League War, Rugby League has failed to cement an international calendar. The historical tours disappeared – in part due to the war but also since the English game transferred to a summer season.
All the latest from the Rugby League World Cup.
With many spruiking that the pinnacle of our beloved sport is State of Origin, surely it’s time to make yet another amendment to the playbook and finally let New Zealand and English players in on the fun?
With the World Cup final just days away, I thought I’d reflect on some of the key moments and memories of the past ten…
