1972 Rugby League World Cup

The sixth Rugby League World Cup was held in France in October and November 1972. Australia started as the favourites to retain the trophy they had won just two years previously. New Zealand had beaten all three of the other nations in 1971 and France were expected to be tough opponents on their home soil. In the event Great Britain confounded most expectations by running out worthy winners and levelling their tally of World Cup wins at 3–3 with the Australians.

1972 (1972) World Cup  ()
Number of teams4
Host country France
Winner Great Britain (3rd title)

Matches played7
Attendance62,456 (8,922 per match)
Points scored240 (34.29 per match)
Top scorer John Holmes (26)
Top try scorer Bob Fulton (5)
 < 1970
1975 > 

The final was held at Stade Gerland in Lyon. Great Britain played Australia and in the end, 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

Venues

Marseille Paris Toulouse
Stade Vélodrome Parc des Princes Stadium Municipal
Capacity: 55,000 Capacity: 48,712 Capacity: 37,000
Perpignan Pau Grenoble
Stade Gilbert Brutus Stade du Hameau Stade Lesdiguières
Capacity: 13,000 Capacity: 12,000 Capacity: 12,000
Stade du Hameau - Pau

Final Venue

Lyon
Stade de Gerland
Capacity: 45,000

Results

Group stage

TeamPldWDLPFPADiffPtsQualification
 Great Britain33009344+496Advances to the Final
 Australia32016141+204
 France31023353−202
 New Zealand30033382−490
28 October 1972France 20 – 9 New ZealandStade Vélodrome, Marseille
29 October 1972Great Britain 27 – 21 AustraliaStade Gilbert Brutus, Perpingnan
1 November 1972France 4 – 13 Great BritainStade Lesdiguières, Grenoble
1 November 1972Australia 9 – 5 New ZealandParc des Princes, Paris
4 November 1972Great Britain 53 – 19 New ZealandStade du Hameau, Pau
5 November 1972France 9 – 31 AustraliaStadium Municipal, Toulouse

Final

11 November 1972
Great Britain  10–10
(AET)
 Australia
Tries:
Clive Sullivan
Mike Stephenson
Goals:
Terry Clawson (2)
[1] Tries:
John O'Neill
Arthur Beetson
Goals:
Ray Branighan (2)
Stade de Gerland, Lyon
Attendance: 4,231
Referee: Georges Jameau
Great Britain
Australia
FB1 Paul Charlton
RW2 Clive Sullivan (c)
RC3 Chris Hesketh
LC4 John Walsh
LW5 John Atkinson
SO6 John Holmes
SH7 Steve Nash
PR8 Terry Clawson
HK9 Mike Stephenson
PR10 David Jeanes
SR11 Phil Lowe
SR12 Brian Lockwood
LF13 George Nicholls
Substitutions:
IC14 Bob Irving
IC15
Coach:
Jim Challinor
FB1 Graeme Langlands (c)
RW2 John Grant
RC3 Mark Harris
LC4 Geoff Starling
LW5 Ray Branighan
FE6 Bob Fulton
HB7 Dennis Ward
PR8 John O'Neill
HK9 Elwyn Walters
PR10 Bob O'Reilly
SR11 Arthur Beetson
SR12 Gary Stevens
LK13 Gary Sullivan
Substitutions:
IC14 Fred Jones
IC15
Coach:
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 try[2][3] and by the Australians for perhaps "the greatest try never scored",[4] later shown on TV to be legitimately scored by Australian fullback Graeme Langlands but disallowed by French referee Georges Jameau.[5] Mike Stephenson scored the 73rd-minute try that helped Great Britain level the scores and secure the World Cup.[6] 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
4
3
2
1

References

  1. Report
  2. Wright, J (23 August 2007). "Rugby League's Greatest Ever Full-back". Times & Star. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  3. Paddy McAteer (22 December 2010) "Whole World in their Hands" Archived 5 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine North West Evening Mail
  4. Kdouh, Fatima (28 November 2013). "We take a look back at the greatest Rugby League World Cup finals of all time". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  5. Chesterton, Ray (24 October 2008). "Langlands denied greatest try ever". The Daily Telegraph. Australia: News Limited. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  6. Hughes, Ed (31 October 2004). "Caught in Time: Great Britain prepare for 1972 rugby league World Cup final". The Sunday Times. UK: Times Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
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