Rugby League World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup is an irregularly since 1954 registered international sporting competition where the best rugby league team in the world will be crowned.
History
Since 1935, efforts were made by the French Rugby League Association to introduce a world championship. After the Second World War, the idea was taken up again and at a meeting in Blackpool in November 1953, France was determined by the Rugby League International Federation for the first host. The following year, Britain defeated France in the final and thus became the first rugby league world champions.
In the early years, only Australia, the UK, France and New Zealand participated. Each team played against the other, and while there had been in the Rugby League World Cup 1954 finals, it was decided that the next competition, the team, the best sections in the " placement games," without another final the title should receive. Australia achieved this in 1957 with the Cup in their own country.
UK pledged in 1960 for the second time the title. Nächstmalig the World Cup, however, was held until 1968, when the French planned for 1965 version in their own country had canceled after they were unsuccessful in advance returned from a tour to Australia. Until the mid- 1970s, the World Cup was held every two years, with 1972 the finale ended with a 10:10 draw. Britain was given the title due to the better cutting in the preliminaries.
In 1975, the World Cup has been radically reformed. The tournament was no longer in a host country place, but was discharged in home and away matches. The team of Great Britain was divided into England and Wales. Australia won the final against England, just like two years later, when Britain, however, took up again as a team. Due to the constant changes in the competition format, however, the public lost interest and until the mid- 1980s, no other tournament took place.
Over the years 1985-1988, each team played several times at home and away against each other. At the end of a final between Australia and New Zealand was at the Eden Park in Auckland. The hard game - the Australian captain Wally Lewis played part of the game with a broken arm - ended 25-12 for Australians. From 1989 to 1992 the format was repeated; Australia won again, this time against Great Britain 10-6 in front of 72,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.
With ten participants were in - the largest field 1995 World Cup - again discharged in a modified mode. New here have included Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and South Africa. The tournament was also held to celebrate the centenary of the sport. Australia defeated England in front of 66,000 spectators with 16-8 in the final.
At the 2000 edition six more teams were added. The games, however, were little competitive and the competition was not as successful as its predecessor.
In 2008, the World Cup was held with 10 participants in Australia. In 2013, then UK operators be
Participating nations
Australia, France and New Zealand are the only nations who were there at every Rugby League World Cup. Players from England have also participated in every tournament, but took the United Kingdom with the exception of 1975 to the Tournament 1989/92 is always a but since then with teams for the various parts of the country part individually.
Otherwise, so far the following teams participated:
- Australia
- Cook Islands
- England
- Fiji
- France
- Great Britain
- Ireland
- Lebanon
- New Zealand
- Māori ( New Zealand )
- Papua New Guinea
- Russia
- Samoa
- Scotland
- South Africa
- Tonga
- Wales