1975 Rugby League World Cup


The 1975 Rugby League World Cup 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.
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.

Venues

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.


Warm-up games

The teams arranged a number of warm-up games against local opposition during the World Championship, detailed below.
England
DateOpponentsScoreVenueAttendance
1 JuneWestern Australiastyle="text-align: center;" Perth6,000
7 JuneToowoombastyle="text-align: center;" Toowoomba3,000
15 JuneSouthern Division style="text-align: center;" Gosforth3,000
18 JuneNorth Island style="text-align: center;" Huntly2,490
29 JuneIllawarrastyle="text-align: center;" Wollongong4,000
2 JulyBrisbanestyle="text-align: center;" Brisbane9,000
6 JulyPapua New Guineastyle="text-align: center;" Port Moresby12,000

Wales
DateOpponentsScoreVenueAttendance
5 JuneIpswichstyle="text-align: center;" Ipswich4,000
18 JuneWellingtonstyle="text-align: center;" Wellington2,000
22 JuneWest Coast style="text-align: center;" Greymouth2,000
24 JuneCanterburystyle="text-align: center;" Christchurch2,500
1 JulyAucklandstyle="text-align: center;" Auckland12,000
3 JulyNew Zealand Māoristyle="text-align: center;" Rotorua2,500

France
DateOpponentsScoreVenueAttendance
12 JuneAucklandstyle="text-align: center;" Auckland10,000
22 JuneWide Baystyle="text-align: center;" Bundaberg4,000
25 JuneLithgow-Oberonstyle="text-align: center;" Lithgow1,360
27 JuneNSW Group 6style="text-align: center;" Campbelltown2,600
29 JuneMonarostyle="text-align: center;" Queanbeyan5,700

Australia
DateOpponentsScoreVenueAttendance
30 SeptemberAucklandstyle="text-align: center;" Auckland7,251
10 OctoberSalfordstyle="text-align: center;" Salford5,357
12 OctoberSt Helensstyle="text-align: center;" St Helens10,170
23 OctoberRouergue XIIIstyle="text-align: center;" Albi2,000
4 NovemberOldhamstyle="text-align: center;" Oldham3,575
9 NovemberYorkstyle="text-align: center;" York4,082

New Zealand
DateOpponentsScoreVenueAttendance
15 MayNorth Queensland Firstsstyle="text-align: center;" Townsville
18 MayCentral Queenslandstyle="text-align: center;" Rockhampton
21 MayNorthern Divisionstyle="text-align: center;" Tamworth
24 MayNSW Country Firstsstyle="text-align: center;" Newcastle6,000
27 MayNorth Coaststyle="text-align: center;" Tweed Heads
1 NovemberSouth West Francestyle="text-align: center;"
4 NovemberBarrowstyle="text-align: center;" Barrow-in-Furness
9 NovemberKeighleystyle="text-align: center;" Keighley

Results

In this match Mick Cronin kicked nine goals.
England winger Keith Fielding created a new record by scoring four tries against a hapless French team at Bordeaux.
Kangaroo wing prodigy Ian Schubert also scored a hat-trick tries.
English stand-off Ken Gill ran in three tries.
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.

Final challenge match

As Australia had not beaten England to win the World Cup, 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.

Try scorers

;7
;5
;4
;3
;2
;1