1977 Rugby League World Cup

8th Rugby League World Cup tournament

1977 World Cup

Number of teams| 4
Host countries|  Australia
New Zealand
Winner|  Australia (5th title)

* * *

Matches played| 7
Attendance| 109,688 (15,670 per match)
Points scored| 235 (33.57 per match)
Top scorer|  George Fairbairn (34)
Top try scorers|  Allan McMahon (4)
Graham Eadie (4)

Tournaments

< 1975

1985–1988 >

The 1977 Rugby League World Cup was the eighth World Cup held for men’s national rugby league teams and hosted in Australia and New Zealand and ran between 29 May and 25 June. Australia were Champions after beating Great Britain in the Final at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

## Teams

[edit]

See also: 1977 Rugby League World Cup squads

Team  | Nickname  | Coach  | Captain

|
|
|

Australia (8th appearance)  | The Kangaroos  | Terry Fearnley | Arthur Beetson
New Zealand (8th appearance)  | The Kiwis  | Ron Ackland | Tony Coll
Great Britain (7th appearance)  | The Lions  | Reg Parker | Roger Millward
France (8th appearance)  | Les Chanticleers  | José Calle | Yves Bégou

## Venues

[edit]

Sydney |  Brisbane

|

Sydney Cricket Ground | Lang Park
Capacity: 70,000 | Capacity: 35,000

Auckland |  Christchurch
Carlaw Park | Addington Showground
Capacity: 20,000 | Capacity: 15,000

## Matches

[edit]

### Group stage

[edit]

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

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Australia | 3  | 3  | 0  | 0  | 67  | 26  | +41  | 6  | Advances to the Final
Great Britain | 3  | 2  | 0  | 1  | 58  | 35  | +23  | 4
New Zealand | 3  | 1  | 0  | 2  | 52  | 77  | −25  | 2  |
France | 3  | 0  | 0  | 3  | 33  | 72  | −39  | 0

Source: [citation needed]

29 May

New Zealand | 12 – 27|  Australia

|
|

| |
Carlaw Park, Auckland
Attendance: 18,000

5 June

France | 4 – 23|  Great Britain

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|

| |
Carlaw Park, Auckland
Attendance: 10,000

11 June

Australia | 21 – 9|  France

|
|

| |
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Attendance: 13,231

12 June

New Zealand | 12 – 30|  Great Britain

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|

| |
Addington Showground, Christchurch
Attendance: 9,000

18 June

Australia | 19 – 5|  Great Britain

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|

| |
Lang Park, Brisbane
Attendance: 27,000

19 June

New Zealand | 28 – 20|  France

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|

| |
Carlaw Park, Auckland
Attendance: 8,000

### Final

[edit]

Main article: 1977 Rugby League World Cup final

25 June

Australia  | 13–12  |  Great Britain

|
|

Tries:
Allan McMahon
Russel Gartner
John Kolc
Goals:
Michael Cronin (2/4)  | [1]
| Tries:
Steve Pitchford
Ken Gill

Goals:
George Fairbairn (3/4)

Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Attendance: 24,457
Referee: Billy Thompson
Player of the Match: John Kolc

Australia

Great Britain

|

|  |

|

FB | 1 | Graham Eadie
RW | 2 | Allan McMahon
RC | 3 | Michael Cronin
LC | 4 | Russel Gartner
LW | 5 | Mark Harris
FE | 6 | John Peard
HB | 7 | John Kolc
LK | 8 | Greg Pierce
SR | 9 | Ray Higgs
SR | 10 | Arthur Beetson (c)
PR | 11 | Terry Randall
HK | 12 | Nick Geiger
PR | 13 | Greg Veivers
Substitutions:
IC | 14 | Denis Fitzgerald
IC | 15 | Mark Thomas
Coach:
Terry Fearnley
|  |

|

FB | 1 | George Fairbairn
RW | 2 | Stuart Wright
RC | 3 | John Holmes
LC | 4 | Les Dyl
LW | 5 | Bill Francis
SO | 6 | Roger Millward (c)
SH | 7 | Steve Nash
LF | 8 | Phil Hogan
SR | 9 | Eddie Bowman
SR | 10 | Len Casey
PR | 11 | Jimmy Thompson
HK | 12 | Keith Elwell
PR | 13 | Steve Pitchford
Substitutions:
IC | 14 | Ken Gill
IC | 15 | Peter Smith
Coach:
David Watkins

After their 19–5 win over Great Britain a week earlier at Lang Park in Brisbane (which actually drew 2,543 more fans than the Final), the Australians went into the Final as warm favourites. However, led by experienced captain Roger Millward, the Lions managed to dominate possession throughout the game, and it took a last minute try from Australian halfback John Kolc (playing his only international game for Australia) to secure the Cup in front of 24,457 spectators at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

#### 1st Half

[edit]

The Australian's opened the scoring through Allan McMahon who scored in the Paddington corner. Michael Cronin kicked the sideline conversion and Australia led 5–0. Great Britain soon his back with a try to Steve Pitchford. George Fairbairn converted the try to lock the scores at 5–5. The match was then highlighted by a 60-metre try to Australian centre Russel Gartner who pounced on a dropped ball from Lions fullback Fairbairn after a Great Britain scrum win to race away and score. Only converging defence from Gartner's opposite number Les Dyl kept him from scoring closer to the posts, giving Cronin a difficult conversion from midway between the posts and the touch line. Cronin missed the attempt and the Australian's led 8–5. Fairbairn then kicked a penalty goal to make the scores 8–7 closing in on half time.

Late in the first half the gritty and determined Lions were considered unlucky not to score when they were denied what would have been a certain try to winger Stuart Wright by English referee Billy Thompson. Wright had intercepted a pass from Cronin to Mark Harris 15 metres from the Australian line and was racing downfield with no one near him when Thompson called play back for an obstruction penalty to Great Britain rather than play advantage. Had Wright scored, and likely under the posts, it could have given the visitors a 12–8 lead going into the break. Instead, soon after Cronoin kicked a penalty goal from in front of the posts to make the score 10–7 going into half time.

#### 2nd Half

[edit]

Australia took the lead out to 13–7 after a try to John Kolc in the Randwick corner in front of the Bradman Stand. Fairbairn had dropped a downfield kick by Cronin and the ball was pounced upon by Allan McMahon. From acting half, Kolc then dummied which fooled Fairbairn and Bill Francis and he raced away to score in the corner. Cronin missed the difficult kick from the sideline and the score remained at 13–7.

The Lions then hit back with a try under the posts to replacement back Ken Gill which was converted by Fairbairn to bring the scores to 13–12. After Kolc was penalised for using an elbow on Roger Millward who was chasing his own chip-kick, Fairbairn then had a late chance to give Great Britain the lead with a penalty goal from 45 metres out, though his went just to the right of the posts into the waiting arms of Australian fullback Graham Eadie who took full advantage of the Lions defence line still being near halfway to run the ball back outside the Australian quarter line.[2]

## Try scorers

[edit]

* Graham Eadie
* Allan McMahon

* Roger Millward
* Stuart Wright

* Jean-Jacques Cologni
* Kevin Fisher
* John Smith

* Denis Fitzgerald
* Russel Gartner
* Mark Harris
* John Kolc
* John Peard
* Terry Randall
* Mark Thomas
* Greg Veivers
* Jacques Guigue
* Christian Laskawiec
* Joël Roosebrouck
* Eddie Bowman
* Les Dyl
* Ken Gill
* Phil Hogan
* George Nicholls
* Steve Pitchford
* Mark Graham
* Chris Jordan
* Alan Rushton
* John Whittaker

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Report
2. ^ 1977 World Cup final highlights

## External links

[edit]

* 1977 World Cup at rlhalloffame.org.uk
* 1977 World Cup at rugbyleagueproject.com
* 1977 World Cup data at hunterlink.net.au
* 1977 World Cup at 188-rugby-league.co.uk

* v
* t
* e

Men's Rugby League World Cup

| Tournaments|

* 1954
* 1957
* 1960
* 1968
* 1970
* 1972
* 1975
* 1977
* 1985–88
* 1989–92
* 1995
* 2000
* 2008
* 2013
* 2017
* 2021
* ~~2025~~
* 2026
* 2030

|

Qualification|

* 1954
* 1957
* 1960
* 1968
* 1970
* 1972
* 1975
* 1977
* 1985–88
* 1989–92
* 1995
* 2000
* 2008
* 2013
* 2017
* 2021
* ~~2025~~
* 2026

Finals|

* 1954
* 1957
* 1960
* 1968
* 1970
* 1972
* 1975
* 1977
* 1985–88
* 1989–92
* 1995
* 2000
* 2008
* 2013
* 2017
* 2021
* ~~2025~~

Squads|

* 1954
* 1957
* 1960
* 1968
* 1970
* 1972
* 1975
* 1977
* 1985–88
* 1989–92
* 1995
* 2000
* 2008
* 2013
* 2017
* 2021
* ~~2025~~

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

1977 Rugby League World Cup venues

Australia|

* Lang Park
* Sydney Cricket Ground

New Zealand|

* Addington Showground
* Carlaw Park

* v
* t
* e

Australia squad \- 1977 World Cup Final winners (5th title)

* 1\. Graham Eadie
* 2\. Allan McMahon
* 3\. Mick Cronin
* 4\. Russel Gartner
* 5\. Mark Harris
* 6\. John Peard
* 7\. John Kolc

* 8\. Greg Veivers
* 9\. Nick Geiger
* 10\. Terry Randall
* 11\. Arthur Beetson (c)
* 12\. Ray Higgs
* 13\. Greg Pierce

* 14\. Denis Fitzgerald
* Coach: Terry Fearnley

*[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