1975 Rugby League World Cup

7th tournament for the 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)

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.

## Teams

[edit]

Main article: 1975 Rugby League World Cup squads

## Venues

[edit]

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

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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
|  |  |

## Results

[edit]

2 March

France | 14 – 7|  Wales

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

16 March

England | 20 – 2|  France

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

1 June

Australia | 36 – 8|  New Zealand

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

10 June

England | 7 – 12|  Wales

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

14 June

Australia | 30 – 13|  Wales

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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

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Addington Showground, Christchurch
Attendance: 2,500
Referee: Laurie Bruyeres

21 June

New Zealand | 17 – 17|  England

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

22 June

Australia | 26 – 6|  France

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

28 June

Australia | 10 – 10|  England

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

28 June

New Zealand | 13 – 8|  Wales

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

20 September

Wales | 16 – 22|  England

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

27 September

New Zealand | 8 – 24|  Australia

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

11 October

France | 2 – 48|  England

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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

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Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Billy Thompson

19 October

Wales | 6 – 18|  Australia

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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

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

English stand-off Ken Gill ran in three tries.

26 October

France | 2 – 41|  Australia

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Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan
Attendance: 10,440
Referee: Billy Thompson

1 November

England | 16 – 13|  Australia

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

2 November

Wales | 25 – 24|  New Zealand

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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

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

### Final standings

[edit]

Team  | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts

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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

Source: [citation needed]

### Final challenge match

[edit]

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

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

## Try scorers

[edit]

* Ian Schubert
* Keith Fielding

* Mick Cronin

* Bob Fulton
* Ken Gill
* John Holmes
* Bill Francis

* Mark Harris
* Graeme Langlands
* John Peard
* Terry Randall
* Ged Dunn
* Eric Hughes
* Bob Jarvis
* Phillip Orchard

* Ray Higgs
* John Lang
* Lew Platz
* Tommy Raudonikis
* Steve Rogers
* Patrick Chauvet
* George Fairbairn
* Tony Gordon
* Ken Stirling
* Dennis Williams
* Peter Banner
* John Bevan
* David Willicombe

* Ray Branighan
* Graham Eadie
* Tim Pickup
* John Quayle
* Johnny Rhodes
* John Atkinson
* Colin Forsyth
* Jeff Grayshon
* Brian Hogan
* Thomas Martyn
* Roger Millward
* Mick Morgan
* Steve Norton
* Stuart Wright
* Bernard Curt
* René Terrats
* Tony Coll
* Tom Conroy
* Murray Eade
* John Greengrass
* Lyndsay Proctor
* John Smith
* John Whittaker
* Kel Coslett
* Tony Fisher
* Brian Gregory
* John Mantle
* Jim Mills
* Clive Sullivan
* David Treasure
* Frank Wilson

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Clarkson, Alan (10 June 1974). "Fulton battles injury". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia. Archived from the original on 30 July 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
2. ^ Paddy McAteer (22 December 2010) "Whole World in their Hands" Archived 5 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine North West Evening Mail

## External links

[edit]

* 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

* v
* t
* e

Men's Rugby League World Cup

| Tournaments|

* 1954
* 1957
* 1960
* 1968
* 1970
* 1972
* 1975
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* 1985–88
* 1989–92
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|

Qualification|

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Finals|

* 1954
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Squads|

* 1954
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* 1975
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* 1985–88
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Related articles|

* Festival of World Cups
* 2008
* 2013
* 2017
* 2021
* 2025
* Women's World Cup
* Wheelchair World Cup
* Tertiary Student World Cup
* Emerging Nations World Championship
* 1995
* 2000
* 2018

* History
* Records
* Trophy
* Opening matches
* Hosts
* Venues
* Hat-tricks

* v
* t
* e

1975 Rugby League World Cup venues

England|

* Central Park
* Headingley
* Odsal
* The Willows
* Wilderspool

France|

* Stade du Parc Lescure
* Stade Gilbert Brutus
* Stadium Municipal
* Stade Vélodrome

Australia|

* Lang Park
* Sydney Cricket Ground

New Zealand|

* Addington Showground
* Carlaw Park

Wales|

* St Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground

* v
* t
* e

Australia squad – 1975 Rugby League World Championship winners (4th title)

*  Graeme Langlands (Capt./Coach)
*  Chris Anderson
*  Arthur Beetson
*  Ray Branighan
*  John Brass
*  Ron Coote
*  Mick Cronin
*  John Donnelly
*  Graham Eadie
*  Terry Fahey
*  Denis Fitzgerald
*  Bob Fulton
*  Mark Harris
*  Ray Higgs
*  John Lang
*  Ian Mackay
*  Allan McMahon
*  John Mayes
*  John O'Neill
*  John Peard
*  Tim Pickup
*  Greg Pierce
*  George Piggins
*  Lew Platz
*  Jim Porter
*  John Quayle
*  Terry Randall
*  Tommy Raudonikis
*  Johnny Rhodes
*  Steve Rogers
*  Paul Sait
*  Ian Schubert
*  Gary Stevens
*  Ross Strudwick
*  Greg Veivers
*  David Wright

*[Pld]: Played
*[W]: Won
*[D]: Drawn
*[L]: Lost
*[PF]: Points for
*[PA]: Points against
*[PD]: Point difference
*[Pts]: Points
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template