Rugby League Four Nations
| Four Nations | |
|---|---|
 Current season or competition:2011 Rugby League Four Nations |
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| Sport | Rugby league football |
| Instituted | 2008(1999 as Tri-Nations) |
| Inaugural season | 2009(1999 as Tri-Nations) |
| Number of teams | 4 |
| Region | International (RLIF) |
| Champions |  Australia (2011) |
| Website | www.rlfournations.com |
| Qualification | Fourth participant for 2010 from 2009 Pacific Cup 2011 from 2010 European Cup |
| Related competition | Tri-Nations |
The Rugby League Four Nations is an annual rugby league football tournament run in partnership between the Australian Rugby League, Rugby Football League and New Zealand Rugby League representing the top three nations in the sport: Australia, England and New Zealand.[1] A fourth partner, France, accepted an invitation to play in the inaugural tournament.[1] In the 2010 Tournament, Papua New Guinea was represented as they won the 2009 Pacific Cup. In 2011 they will be replaced by the 2010 European Cup winners, Wales. The tournament is sponsored by Gillette and therefore officially known as the Gillette Four Nations.[2]
The tournament was first contested in 2009 and replaced the Tri-Nations tournament that previously involved Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain.
The Four Nations is an integrated part of the Rugby League International Federation's 'International Calendar', with the fourth participant for 2010 and 2011 decided by the 2009 Pacific Cup and 2010 European Cups respectively.[3] There will be no tournament in 2012 to allow teams to prepare for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.[3]
Contents |
[edit] Format
[edit] Qualification
In 2009 a qualifying tournament was held, the Pacific Cup, involving Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and the Cook Islands. The winners, Papua New Guinea, qualifed for the 2010 Four Nations. Likewise in 2010, the European Nations Cup decided the fourth participant in the 2011 tournament, Wales.[3]
[edit] The competition
The tournament is organised in round-robin format. Each team play the others once, before the top two teams play each other in a tournament final. The top two teams are calculated using a league table. Teams receive:
- 2 points for a win
- 1 point for a draw
- 0 points for a loss
For and against then separates teams on equal points.
[edit] History
The 2009 tournament began on Saturday 24 October, after the National Rugby League Grand Final and the Super League Grand Final. The tournament ran for 4 weeks with a total of 7 matches, the final was played at Elland Road, Leeds, United Kingdom on Saturday 14 November.
[edit] Tournament finals
[edit] Tri Nations (1999-2006)
| Year | Host nation(s) | Winner | Score | Runner-Up | Final venue | Final crowd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 |  New Zealand Australia |
 Australia |
22 – 20 |  New Zealand |
Ericsson Stadium, Auckland | 21,204 |
| 2004 |  United Kingdom |
Australia |
44 – 4 |  Great Britain |
Elland Road, Leeds | 39,200 |
| 2005 | United Kingdom |
New Zealand |
24 – 0 | Australia |
Elland Road, Leeds | 26,514[4] |
| 2006 | Australia New Zealand |
Australia |
16 – 12 Golden point |
New Zealand |
Sydney Football Stadium, Australia | 27,325 |
[edit] Four Nations (2009-)
| Year | Host nation(s) | Fourth nation | Winner | Score | Runner-Up | Final venue | Final crowd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 |  England France |
France |
Australia |
46 – 16 |  England |
Elland Road, Leeds | 31,042[5] |
| 2010 | Australia New Zealand |
 Papua New Guinea |
New Zealand |
16 – 12 | Australia |
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | 36,299[6] |
| 2011 | England Wales |
Wales |
Australia |
30 – 8 | England |
Elland Road, Leeds | 34,174[7] |
| 2014 | Australia New Zealand[8] |
TBA |
[edit] References
- ^ a b Dean Ritchie (2009-02-24). "UK stuff-up in league of its own". news.com.au. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/sport/nrl/story/0,26746,25096474-5003409,00.html. Retrieved 2009-04-17.
- ^ PA (2009-07-12). "Gillette to sponsor Four Nations". Sporting Life. http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rleague/09/07/12/RUGBYL_Four_Nations.html. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
- ^ a b c NRL (2008-11-22). "RLIF unveils expanded Test schedule". NRL Partnership. http://nrl.com/News/Latest/tabid/10244/default.aspx?id=53525. Retrieved 2009-04-17.
- ^ Richards, Huw (27 November 2005). "New Zealand dismantles Australia's dynasty, 24-0". The New York Times (USA: The New York Times Company). http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/27/sports/27iht-league.html. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
- ^ "England 16 Australia 46 | Sporting Life - Rugby League News | Live Scores, Four Nations, Ian Millward tips". Sporting Life. http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rleague/09/11/14/RUGBYL_England_Nightlead.html. Retrieved 2011-11-21.
- ^ Ricketts, Steve (2010-11-14). "Australia v New Zealand in Four Nations rugby league final at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane". Courier Mail. http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/australia-v-new-zealand-in-four-nations-rugby-league-final-at-suncorp-stadium-brisbane/story-e6frep5x-1225953135159. Retrieved 2011-11-21.
- ^ http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/Four_Nations_2011/Final/England-vs-Australia.html
- ^ "2014 Rugby League Four-Nations". Rugby League Planet. http://www.rugbyleagueplanet.com/RLP/Trinations/2014fournations.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-21.
[edit] External links
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