1975 Rugby League World Cup

1975 (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)
Tournaments  < 1972 1977 >

The 1975 Rugby League World Cup (officially known as the 1975 Rugby League World Championship^[1]) was the seventh World Cup for men’s rugby league national teams and ran from 2 March to 12 November. Australia were the winners for a fourth time after topping the group table.^[2]

Unlike previous World Cups, there was no one host country, with the five participating nations hosting matches over eight months. Each team had to play the others on a 'home and away' basis. For the first time Great Britain did not compete and instead England and Wales entered to participate for the first time, taking advantage of a glut of Welsh talent in the British game at the time.

14 venues across the five competing countries hosted games of the 1975 Rugby League World Cup. Wales used their own home venue at Swansea, but also played home games in England in both Salford and Warrington. England also played a 'home' game against Wales at Lang Park in Brisbane, Australia.

Sydney	Marseille	Brisbane	Bradford	Wigan
Sydney Cricket Ground	Stade Vélodrome	Lang Park	Odsal Stadium	Central Park
Capacity: 70,000	Capacity: 49,000	Capacity: 40,000	Capacity: 40,000	Capacity: 40,000
Toulouse	Leeds	Bordeaux	Auckland	Salford
Stadium Municipal	Headingley	Stade du Parc Lescure	Carlaw Park	The Willows
Capacity: 35,000	Capacity: 32,000	Capacity: 30,000	Capacity: 20,000	Capacity: 17,000
Swansea	Christchurch	Warrington	Perpignan
St Helen's Rugby Ground	Addington Showgrounds	Wilderspool Stadium	Stade Gilbert Brutus
Capacity: 15,000	Capacity: 15,000	Capacity: 15,000	Capacity: 13,000

2 March

France	14 – 7	Wales

Stade Municipal, Toulouse Attendance: 7,563 Referee: Fred Lindop

16 March

England	20 – 2	France

Headingley, Leeds Attendance: 10,842 Referee: Keith Page (Harry Hunt )

1 June

Australia	36 – 8	New Zealand

Lang Park, Brisbane Attendance: 12,000 Referee: Francois Escande

10 June

England	7 – 12	Wales

Lang Park, Brisbane Attendance: 6,000 Referee: Don Lancashire

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

21 June

New Zealand	17 – 17	England

Carlaw Park, Auckland Attendance: 12,000 Referee: Laurie Bruyeres

22 June

Australia	26 – 6	France

Lang Park, Brisbane Attendance: 9,000 Referee: John Percival

28 June

Australia	10 – 10	England

Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Attendance: 33,858 Referee: John Percival

28 June

New Zealand	13 – 8	Wales

Carlaw Park, Auckland Attendance: 9,368 Referee: Laurie Bruyeres

20 September

Wales	16 – 22	England

Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington Attendance: 5,034 Referee: Marcel Caillol

27 September

New Zealand	8 – 24	Australia

Carlaw Park, Auckland Attendance: 18,000 Referee: Fred Lindop

11 October

France	2 – 48	England

Stade du Parc Lescure, Bordeaux Attendance: 1,581 Referee: John Percival

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.

25 October

England	27 – 12	New Zealand

Odsal Stadium, Bradford Attendance: 5,507 Referee: Andre Lacaze

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

1 November

England	16 – 13	Australia

Central Park, Wigan Attendance: 9,353 Referee: John Percival

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.

6 November

Wales	23 – 2	France

The Willows, Salford Attendance: 2,247 Referee: Fred Lindop

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
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

As Australia had not beaten England to win the World Cup (a draw and a loss), a one off challenge match was arranged, although this was not officially classed as a Final as Australia had already been crowned Champions after topping the group.

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 which was over 11,000 less than had attended the 1970 World Cup final, between Great Britain and Australia, at the same venue. England had shown little interest in playing the game.

12 November

England	0 – 25	Australia

Headingley, Leeds Attendance: 7,680 Referee: Fred Lindop

7

5

4

3

2

1

• 1975 World Cup at rlhalloffame.org.uk
• 1975 World Cup at rlwc2008.com
• 1975 World Cup at rugbyleagueproject.com
• 1975 World Cup data at hunterlink.net.au