1975 Rugby League World Cup
| 1975 World Cup | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Number of teams | 5 |
| Winner |  Australia (4th title) |
| Matches played | 21 |
| Attendance | 204,476 (9,737 per match) |
| Points scored | 661 (31.48 per match) |
| Top scorer | Mick Cronin (76) |
| Top try scorers |  Keith Fielding (7) Ian Schubert (7) |
< 1972 1977 > | |
The 1975 Rugby League World Championship (also referred to as the World Series[1]) was the seventh ever tournament for the Rugby League World Cup. The format differed radically from that employed in previous competitions; no one country hosted the matches, which were spread out in a 'world series' hosted by each of the five participating nations over a period of just over eight months. Each team had to play the others on a 'home and away' basis. Great Britain were split up into separate England and Wales teams, taking advantage of a glut of Welsh talent in the British game at the time.
No final was held, with Australia being deemed the champions by virtue of finishing on top of the table[2] with England coming in second.[3]
Teams
Australia
The Australian squad was captain-coached by Graeme Langlands. The Eastern Suburbs club, being current NSWRFL premiers were the most heavily represented team.
England
England were coached by Bill Oxley and Alex Murphy, and captained by Roger Millward.[4]
France
New Zealand
The New Zealand team was coached by George Menzies (West Coast) and managed by Des Jenkinson (Auckland) and Brian Watson (Auckland).
| Name | App. | T | G | FG | P | Position | Club | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Barry | Half Back | Auckland | ||||||
| Paul Matete | 1 | Wing | Auckland | |||||
| Les Beehre | Hooker | Auckland | ||||||
| Mocky Brereton | Back | West Coast | ||||||
| Fred Ah Kuoi | Three-quarter | Richmond | Auckland | |||||
| John Smith | Back | Auckland | ||||||
| Kurt Sorensen | Forward | Mt. Wellington | Auckland | |||||
| Bruce Dickison | Centre | Canterbury | ||||||
| Tony Gordon | Backs | Auckland | ||||||
| Dane Sorensen | Forward | Mt. Wellington | Auckland | |||||
| Ray Baxendale | Second Row | West Coast | ||||||
| John Greengrass | Prop | Canterbury | ||||||
| John Whittaker | Back | Wellington | ||||||
| Phillip Orchard | Wing | Wellington | ||||||
| Dennis Williams | Back | Te Atatu | Auckland | |||||
| Murray Eade (vc) | Loose Forward | Auckland | ||||||
| John O'Sullivan | Back | Auckland | ||||||
| Barrie Dyer | Utility | Auckland | ||||||
| Warren Collicoat | Back | Auckland | ||||||
| Peter Gurnick | Forward | Auckland | ||||||
| Tony Coll | Second Row | West Coast | ||||||
| Ken Stirling (c) | Back | Auckland | ||||||
| Kevin Potter | Centre | Auckland | ||||||
| Lyndsay Proctor | Forward | Auckland | ||||||
| Bob Jarvis | Back | Auckland | ||||||
| Don Munro | Back | Wellington | ||||||
| Tom Conroy | Hooker | Auckland | ||||||
| Murray Wright | Hooker | Auckland | ||||||
| Josh Liavaa | Second Row | Auckland | ||||||
| John Wright | Prop | Auckland | ||||||
| Graeme West | Forward | West Coast | ||||||
| John Hibbs | Forward | West Coast |
Wales
Coach: Les Pearce[5]
e.g. (5/8) indicates the number of games played in the 1975 World Cup. | |
Results
| 14 June |
| Australia | 30–13 |  Wales |
| Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Attendance: 25,386 Referee: Francois Escande  |
In this match Mick Cronin kicked nine goals.
| 15 June |
New Zealand  | 27–0 | France |
| Addington Showground, Christchurch Attendance: 2,500 Referee: Laurie Bruyeres |
| 20 September |
| Wales | 16–22 | England |
| Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington Attendance: 5,034 Referee: Marcel Caillol |
England winger Keith Fielding created a new record by scoring four tries against a hapless French team at Bordeaux.
| 17 October |
| France | 12–12 | New Zealand |
| Stade Vélodrome, Marseille Attendance: 10,000 Referee: Billy Thompson |
| 19 October |
| Wales | 6–18 | Australia |
| St. Helen's Rugby Ground, Swansea Attendance: 11,112 Referee: John Percival |
Kangaroo wing prodigy Ian Schubert also scored a hat-trick tries.
English stand-off Ken Gill ran in three tries.
| 26 October |
| France | 2–41 | Australia |
| Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan Attendance: 10,440 Referee: Billy Thompson |
| 2 November |
| Wales | 25–24 | New Zealand |
| St. Helen's Rugby Ground, Swansea Attendance: 2,645 Referee: Georges Jameau |
In this match Jim Mills, the Wales prop, was banned for the rest of the season after an altercation. The ban was eventually lifted on 2 January 1976.
Final standings
| Team | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia |
8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 198 | 69 | +129 | 13 |
| England |
8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 167 | 84 | +83 | 12 |
| Wales |
8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 110 | 130 | −20 | 6 |
| New Zealand |
8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 121 | 149 | −28 | 6 |
| France |
8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 40 | 204 | −164 | 3 |
Final challenge match
As Australia had not beaten England to win the cup, a final challenge was hastily arranged. The Kangaroos showed they were worthy World Champions with a comprehensive 25–0 win at Headingley in front of a disappointing crowd of 7,680.
References
- ^ Clarkson, Alan (10 June 1974). "Fulton battles injury". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) [dead link] - ^ Paddy McAteer (22 December 2010) "Whole World in their Hands" North West Evening Mail
- ^ "World Cup 1975" at 188-rugby-league.co.uk
- ^ Raymond Fletcher; David Howes (1995). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995–1996. London: Headline Book Publishing. pp. 429–430. ISBN 0-7472-7817-2.
- ^ Clarkson, Alan (10 June 1974). "We'll take them apart". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
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