1972 Rugby League World Cup Explained

Year:	1972
World Cup
Finalists:	4
Country:	France
Winners:	Great Britain
Count:	3
Matches:	7
Attendance:	62456
Points:	240
Topscorer-Flag:	GBR
Topscorer:	John Holmes (26)
Top Try Scorer-Flag:	AUS
Top Try Scorer:	Bob Fulton (5)
Tournaments:	Rugby League World Cup
Last:	1970
Next:	1975

The sixth Rugby League World Cup was held in France in October and November 1972. Australia started as the favourites to retain the trophy they had won just two years previously. New Zealand had beaten all three of the other nations in 1971 and France were expected to be tough opponents on their home soil. In the event Great Britain confounded most expectations by running out worthy winners and levelling their tally of World Cup wins at 3–3 with the Australians.

The final was held at Stade Gerland in Lyon. Great Britain played Australia and in the end, 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

See main article: 1972 Rugby League World Cup squads.

Venues

Marseille	Paris	Toulouse
Stade Vélodrome	Parc des Princes	Stadium Municipal
Capacity: 55,000	Capacity: 48,712	Capacity: 37,000
Perpignan	Pau	Grenoble
Stade Gilbert Brutus	Stade du Hameau	Stade Lesdiguières
Capacity: 13,000	Capacity: 12,000	Capacity: 12,000

Final Venue

Lyon
Stade de Gerland
Capacity: 45,000

Results

Group stage

See main article: 1972 Rugby League World Cup group stage.

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28 October 1972		20 – 9		Stade Vélodrome, Marseille

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29 October 1972		27 – 21		Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpingnan

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1 November 1972		4 – 13		Stade Lesdiguières, Grenoble

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1 November 1972		9 – 5		Parc des Princes, Paris

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4 November 1972		53 – 19		Stade du Hameau, Pau

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5 November 1972		9 – 31		Stadium Municipal, Toulouse

Final

See main article: 1972 Rugby League World Cup final.

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: 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: 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^{[1] [2]} and by the Australians for perhaps "the greatest try never scored",^[3] later shown on TV to be legitimately scored by Australian fullback Graeme Langlands but disallowed by French referee Georges Jameau.^[4] Mike Stephenson scored the 73rd-minute try that helped Great Britain level the scores and secure the World Cup.^[5] 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

• Bob Fulton

4

• Clive Sullivan

3

• John Atkinson
• Phil Lowe
• Mike Stephenson

2

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

1

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

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.uk
• 1972 World Cup data at hunterlink.net.au
• 1972 World Cup at 188-rugby-league.co.uk

Notes and References

1. News: Wright . J . Rugby League's Greatest Ever Full-back . 24 June 2012 . Times & Star . 23 August 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131224082929/http://www.timesandstar.co.uk/home/rugby-league-s-greatest-ever-full-back-1.9513?referrerPath=news%2Felection . 24 December 2013.
2. Paddy McAteer (22 December 2010) "Whole World in their Hands" North West Evening Mail
3. News: Kdouh. Fatima. We take a look back at the greatest Rugby League World Cup finals of all time. 23 December 2013. The Daily Telegraph. 28 November 2013.
4. News: Chesterton . Ray . Langlands denied greatest try ever . . Australia . . 24 October 2008. 6 February 2011.
5. News: Hughes . Ed . Caught in Time: Great Britain prepare for 1972 rugby league World Cup final . . UK . Times Newspapers Ltd . 31 October 2004. 18 October 2010.