1972 Rugby League World Cup

The sixth Rugby League World Cup was held in France in October and November 1972. Australia were the holders, while New Zealand had beaten all three of the other nations in 1971 and France were on their home soil. Great Britain won the title and levelled the score of World titles with the Australians at 3-3.

The final was held at Stade Gerland in Lyon. Great Britain played Australia and, with scores level and unchanged after extra time, claimed the cup on league placing.

This was the last World Cup to be played under the four-tackle rule.

Squads

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Venues

Marseille	Paris	Toulouse
Stade Vélodrome	Parc des Princes	Stadium Municipal
Capacity: 55,000	Capacity: 48,712	Capacity: 37,000
File:Marseille - vue générale du terrain, de la piste et des gradins du stade vers le massif de Marseilleveyre.tif	File:Paris-Parc-des-Princes.jpg	File:Stadium de Toulouse.jpg
Perpignan	Pau	Grenoble
Stade Gilbert Brutus	Stade du Hameau	Stade Lesdiguières
Capacity: 13,000	Capacity: 12,000	Capacity: 12,000
File:Tribune Guasch Laborde.JPG	Stade du Hameau - Pau Stade du Hameau - Pau	File:Tribune lienard.jpg

Final Venue

Lyon
Stade de Gerland
Capacity: 45,000
File:Stade pour les sports athlétiques de la Mouche-15PH1-657.jpg

Results

Group stage

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28 October 1972	Template:Rl-rt	20 – 9	Template:Rl	Stade Vélodrome, Marseille

29 October 1972	Template:Rl-rt	27 – 21	Template:Rl	Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpingnan

1 November 1972	Template:Rl-rt	4 – 13	Template:Rl	Stade Lesdiguières, Grenoble

1 November 1972	Template:Rl-rt	9 – 5	Template:Rl	Parc des Princes, Paris

4 November 1972	Template:Rl-rt	53 – 19	Template:Rl	Stade du Hameau, Pau

5 November 1972	Template:Rl-rt	9 – 31	Template:Rl	Stadium Municipal, Toulouse

Final

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FB 1 Paul Charlton RW 2 Clive Sullivan (c) RC 3 Chris Hesketh LC 4 John Walsh LW 5 John Atkinson SO 6 John Holmes SH 7 Steve Nash PR 8 Terry Clawson HK 9 Mike Stephenson PR 10 David Jeanes SR 11 Phil Lowe SR 12 Brian Lockwood LF 13 George Nicholls Substitutions: IC 14 Bob Irving IC 15 Coach: Template:Flagicon Jim Challinor

FB 1 Graeme Langlands (c) RW 2 John Grant RC 3 Mark Harris LC 4 Geoff Starling LW 5 Ray Branighan FE 6 Bob Fulton HB 7 Dennis Ward PR 8 John O'Neill HK 9 Elwyn Walters PR 10 Bob O'Reilly SR 11 Arthur Beetson SR 12 Gary Stevens LK 13 Gary Sullivan Substitutions: IC 14 Fred Jones IC 15 Coach: Template:Flagicon Harry Bath

The French public seemed uninterested in a final that did not involve the home team, as just over 4,200 spectators turned up. The game will always be remembered by the British for their captain Clive Sullivan's wonderful long distance try<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Paddy McAteer (22 December 2010) "Whole World in their Hands" Template:Webarchive North West Evening Mail</ref> and by the Australians for perhaps "the greatest try never scored",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> later shown on TV to be legitimately scored by Australian fullback Graeme Langlands but disallowed by French referee Georges Jameau.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Mike Stephenson scored the 73rd-minute try that helped Great Britain level the scores and secure the World Cup.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Had Aussie winger Ray Branighan succeeded with a 79th-minute penalty or Bob Fulton landed one of three drop goal attempts in the last five minutes, the cup could easily have gone to Australia. But for the first time in the competition's history the scores were level at full-time. An additional twenty minutes extra time was played, but no further score resulted, and Great Britain were awarded the cup by virtue of a better position in the table.

Try scorers

5

• Template:Flagicon Bob Fulton

4

• Template:Flagicon Clive Sullivan

3

• Template:Flagicon John Atkinson
• Template:Flagicon Phil Lowe
• Template:Flagicon Mike Stephenson

2

• Template:Flagicon Mark Harris
• Template:Flagicon John O'Neill
• Template:Flagicon Paul Sait
• Template:Flagicon Jean-Marie Bonal
• Template:Flagicon Andre Ruiz
• Template:Flagicon John Holmes
• Template:Flagicon Phillip Orchard
• Template:Flagicon John Whittaker

1

• Template:Flagicon Arthur Beetson
• Template:Flagicon Tommy Raudonikis
• Template:Flagicon Elwyn Walters
• Template:Flagicon Dennis Ward
• Template:Flagicon Paul Charlton
• Template:Flagicon Chris Hesketh
• Template:Flagicon David Jeanes
• Template:Flagicon Steve Nash
• Template:Flagicon George Nicholls
• Template:Flagicon Dennis O'Neill
• Template:Flagicon Mocky Brereton
• Template:Flagicon Bill Burgoyne
• Template:Flagicon Tony Coll
• Template:Flagicon Murray Eade
• Template:Flagicon Dennis Williams

Tour games

After the World Championship, Australia and New Zealand arranged short three-game tours against English clubs.

Australia

Date	Opponents	Score	Venue	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
15 November	St Helens	style="text-align: center;" Template:Won	St Helens	9,311
17 November	Wigan	style="text-align: center;" Template:Draw	Wigan	6,300
19 November	Bradford Northern	style="text-align: center;" Template:Won	Bradford	2,820

New Zealand

Date	Opponents	Score	Venue	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
15 November	Leeds	style="text-align: center;" Template:Lost	Leeds
17 November	Huddersfield	style="text-align: center;" Template:Won	Huddersfield
19 November	Salford	style="text-align: center;" Template:Lost<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Salford

External links

• 1972 World Cup at rlhalloffame.org.uk
• 1972 World Cup at rugbyleagueproject.com
• 1972 World Cup final at eraofthebiff.com
• When Great Britain won the World Cup at bbc.co.uk
• 1972 World Cup final at timesonline.co.ukTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore
• 1972 World Cup data at hunterlink.net.au
• 1972 World Cup at 188-rugby-league.co.uk