The
2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the
Rugby League World CupThe Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
since the inauguration of the tournament in
1954The first Rugby League World Cup was held in France in 1954 and officially known as the "Rugby World Cup". The prime motivators behind the idea of holding a rugby league world cup were the French, who were short of money following the seizing of their assets by the rugby union in World War II.The...
, and the first since the
2000The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
event. The tournament was held in Australia from 26 October, culminating in the final between Australia and New Zealand on 22 November.
2008 was the fourth time that the World Cup was held in Australia, the first being in
1957The second Rugby League World Cup was held in Australia in 1957. As before a group stage was held first, with matches being held at locations in Sydney and Brisbane....
. The tournament was won by
New ZealandThe New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
, who defeated Australia 34-20 in the
finalThe 2008 Rugby League World Cup Final was a rugby league match played on 22 November 2008 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The match was the final game of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and determined who would become world champions for the next five years. The match was played between New Zealand...
in one of the greatest upsets in the history of the sport. The tournament featured the best ten teams across the globe which were split into three groups. A total of eighteen matches took place in twelve different venues across four Australian
statesThe Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
. The tournament ended a year of celebrations commemorating the centenary of the game in the
southern hemisphereThe Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
and was part of the
Festival of World CupsThe Festival of World Cups was a series of rugby league World Cups held in Australia during 2008. The Festival was being staged in Australia during 2008 to coincide with their Centenary of Rugby League celebrations. The centrepiece of the Festival was the men's 2008 Rugby League World Cup...
.
The thirteenth Cup was originally scheduled to be held in Australia in 2004, however the lack of international success by
Great BritainThe Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
and
New ZealandThe New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
after the
2000 World CupThe 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
and the rise of the
Tri-Nations tournamentThe Rugby League Tri-Nations was a rugby league tournament involving the top three nations in the sport: Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand...
meant that it was delayed for a further four years. The
Rugby League International FederationThe Rugby League International Federation is the world governing body of rugby league football. It was formed in 1998 in Sydney, Australia. Its purpose is to, "foster, develop, extend, govern and administer the game of Rugby League throughout the world". Its headquarters are in Sydney, Australia,...
officially announced this tournament on 6 May 2006, with further details on scheduling and dates following on 19 April 2007.
The first match took place in Townsville between
EnglandThe England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
and
Papua New GuineaThe Papua New Guinea national rugby league team represents Papua New Guinea internationally in the sport of rugby league football.In Papua New Guinea, Rugby league is highly popular and is regarded as the country’s national sport. The national side are known as the Kumuls...
, although the official opening ceremony of the competition occurred before the Australia and
New ZealandThe New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
match the following day in Sydney. The final took place at Suncorp Stadium in
BrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
.
The tournament proved a commercial success, delivering a profit of $5 million AUD and re-establishing the credibility of the competition.
Draw
The draw, after being confirmed by the RLIF on 19 April 2007, involved three groups. The first group was made up of four teams; Australia, England, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Whilst the other two groups involved three teams each. The semi finals were made up of the first three teams in the first group and the winner of a playoff between the winners of the second and third groups.
The draw was put into doubt after the Papua New Guinea team claimed that it was unfair to them and threatened to boycott the tournament should it not be changed.
Marcus BaiMarcus Bai is a Papua New Guinean former rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. Primarily a winger, he played his final season in 2006 for English Super League team Bradford Bulls. He is the only man to win the World Club Challenge with three different clubs...
, former Papua New Guinean winger and captain, said:
Fortunately for the tournament, this separate island competition did not eventuate. Papua New Guinea still remained upset with the draw, seeing it as a huge challenge but one which would have seen them be rewarded if they had won. The draw was finalised on 4 October 2007.
Points
Teams received 2 points for a win, and 1 point for a draw. This meant that, unlike in the Australasian
National Rugby LeagueThe National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
, there was no "golden point" rule enforced. In group stages, if two teams had the same number of points then positions were determined on points difference, the number of points scored minus the number of points conceded.
Ranking Matches
After group matches were completed, a match featuring the second placed teams in Group B and Group C took place with the winner receiving 7th place. Similarly the third placed teams in Group B and Group C played off for 9th place. It was believed that these results were to be taken into account in the 2009
RLIF World RankingsThe RLIF World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in the sport of rugby league football. The teams of the member nations of the Rugby League International Federation, rugby league football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful...
.
Teams
| Team |
Nickname |
Coach |
Captain |
RLIF Rank |
Final Rank |
| |
The Kangaroos |
Ricky StuartRicky Stuart is an Australian rugby league football coach and former player of the 1980s and 90s. He is currently the head coach of the New South Wales State of Origin team, having replaced Craig Bellamy following a fifth consecutive failure in the 2010 series...
|
Darren LockyerDarren Lockyer is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He was the captain of the Australian national team, the Queensland State of Origin team and his National Rugby League club, the Brisbane Broncos. His professional career spanned between 1995 and 2011...
|
1 |
2 |
|
N/A |
Tony Smith |
Jamie PeacockJames "Jamie" Peacock is an English professional rugby league footballer for the Leeds Rhinos of the European Super League...
|
3 |
3/4 |
|
The Bati |
Joe Dakuitoga Joe Dakuitoga is the coach of the Fiji Bati. He coached them in the 2008 World Cup.-External links:*...
|
Wes NaiqamaWes Naiqama is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Newcastle Knights of the National Rugby League competition. Also the incumbent Fiji national team captain, his usual position is in the centres...
|
6 |
3/4 |
|
Les Chanticleers |
John Monie John Monie is a former professional rugby league coach and player. He is probably best known for his coaching career where he won premierships in both Australia and England.-Playing career:...
|
Jerome Guisset Jérôme Guisset is a formerFrench professional rugby league player. He recently played for Catalans Dragons as prop or second row, but he retired at the end of the 2010 season, and is now the assistant coach at the club....
|
5 |
10 |
|
The Wolfhounds |
Andy Kelly Andy Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the Arena Football League. He played in the AFL for fifteen seasons. He also played for two seasons for the Rhein Fire of the former World League of American Football....
|
Scott GrixScott Grix is an Irish professional rugby league footballer for the Huddersfield Giants of Super League. The Ireland national team captain, he played throughout the backline previously with Halifax , Doncaster, Limoux, Warrington Wolves, Leigh Centurions, Widnes and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats...
|
9 |
5/6 |
|
The Kiwis |
Stephen KearneyStephen Peter Kearney, ONZM is a professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Parramatta Eels in the NRL as well as the New Zealand national team...
|
Nathan CaylessNathan Frederick Cayless is a retired New Zealand-Australian professional rugby league footballer, who was a long-time captain the Parramatta Eels of the National Rugby League. His position of choice was prop forward. He is also a former captain of the New Zealand national team, whom he led to...
|
2 |
1 |
|
The Kumuls |
Adrian LamAdrian Lam is an Australian rugby league football coach and former international player. He is the head coach of the under 20 St George Dragons squad National Rugby League team he signed with them in 2010 and will combine with coaching legend Wayne Bennett.He is a former Papua New Guinea rugby...
|
John WilshereJohn Wilshere is a Papua New Guinean professional rugby league footballer who recently left Salford City Reds at the end of the 2009 season.-Playing career:He is a household name in Papua New Guinea, where rugby league is the national sport...
|
7 |
5/6 |
|
Toa Samoa |
John Ackland |
Nigel VaganaNigel Vagana is a retired professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. A New Zealand and Samoa international representative centre, he retired as the Kiwis' all-time top try-scorer with 19...
|
12 |
9 |
|
The Bravehearts |
Steve McCormack Steve McCormack is the former head coach of National League One club Widnes. He is currently head coach of Scotland RL and SwintonHis first coaching appointment had been at Salford, who made him the youngest coach in Super League at the age of just 28 in 2001 but was sacked just 10 months later.He...
|
Danny BroughDanny Brough is a Dewsbury born English international rugby league footballer.Danny Brough plays for the Huddersfield Giants in Super League. He has also played for the Scotland...
|
11 |
8 |
|
Mate Ma'a Tonga |
Jim DymockJim Dymock is an Australian former professional rugby league international of Tongan heritage who played for the Western Suburbs Magpies, Canterbury Bulldogs, Parramatta Eels and London Broncos...
|
Lopini PaeaLopini Paea is an Australian rugby league player of Tongan descent who currently plays for the Catalans Dragons in the European Super League. He previously played for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League...
|
4 |
7 |
Qualification
Automatic Entry
The following teams were given automatic entry into the World Cup:
Tournaments
- Pacific Qualifying Group
- Europe group one
- Europe group two
- Repechage Winner
The five remaining places in the World Cup were determined by qualification rounds. Two European rounds and Pacific, Atlantic and Repêchage rounds were scheduled.
TongaThe Tonga national rugby league team is a national sporting side, representing Tonga in rugby league football. Rugby league is a popular sport in Tonga, and the national team has become one of the best performed nations in the world...
and
Fiji-Competitions:Fiji have participated in:*Pacific Cup *World Cup *World Sevens *Superleague World Nines *Superleague Oceania Tournament *Pacific Rim Competition -Results:...
became the first two nations to qualify after Tonga defeated
Samoa-Notable Players & Coaches:* John Ackland * Steve Kaiser Coach 1990 - 1994* Steve Kaiser 1986* Afi Ah Koui 1986* Andrew Ah Koui 1986* George Apelu 1986* Fa'ausu Afoa circa-1995* Wing Afoa 1990 - 1994* Isaak Ah Mau circa-2006...
18-10 in
LeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
on 22 October, forcing Samoa to enter the repêchage. In the European Group Two,
IrelandThe Ireland national rugby league team, known as the Wolfhounds, represent the island of Ireland in rugby league football. The team is organized by Rugby League Ireland and are accredited as an affiliate member of the Rugby League International Federation...
drew 16-16 with
LebanonThe Lebanon national rugby league team is the representative side of Lebanon in rugby league football. They are nicknamed "The Cedars" after the Lebanon Cedar tree, which is also on the Lebanese flag. The team has been participating in international competition since 1998 and has quickly became one...
to ensure qualification, while Lebanon were forced to enter the repêchage. The final automatic place went to
ScotlandThe Scotland national rugby league team represent Scotland in international rugby league football tournaments. The team is run under the auspices of the Scotland Rugby League, and are nicknamed The Bravehearts. Scotland are not regarded as a test nation...
, who defeated
WalesThe Wales national rugby league team represent Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is seventh in the RLIF World Rankings. The team were run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from...
37-32 on aggregate after two legs. Wales then faced Lebanon in the repêchage semi-final, where they lost in a surprise 50-26 defeat, to knock them out of World Cup Qualifying. Lebanon then faced Samoa, who beat
USA-2008 & 2013 Rugby League World Cup Qualifying:In October 2006, The Tomahawks were to participate in a four team Atlantic qualifying pool for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, but South Africa and the West Indies withdrew. As a result, The Atlantic qualifying pool was reduced to a single game...
42-10 in the first semi-final, on 14 November for the final qualifying position. The game was won by Samoa, 38-16, and so they booked the tenth and final place. Many qualification matches were broadcast live by Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, whilst BigPondTV broadcast matches online for other fans around the world.
Match Officials
Six referees from four countries controlled matches in the tournament. These four nations also provided touch judges while England and Australia provided the video referees.
}
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Early Modern France
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New Zealand
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Australia
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Australia
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Australia
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Australia
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Australia
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Australia
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Pink Charity Shirts
In support of the Australian
National Breast Cancer FoundationThe National Breast Cancer Foundation is the leading community-funded national organisation in Australia, supporting and promoting research for the prevention and cure of breast cancer....
referees wore pastel pink shirts while officiating matches to raise awareness. The shirts, which carried the NBCF logo on the collar, were signed by the team captains at each World Cup game and were later auctioned off with the proceeds going to the NBCF.
Venues
|
|
|
Suncorp Stadium |
Telstra Dome |
Sydney Football Stadium |
| Stadium |
City |
State |
Home teams |
Capacity |
Suncorp StadiumLang Park is the original name of the site located in the Brisbane suburb of Milton, Queensland, Australia, now occupied by the major sports facility known by its sponsorship name, Suncorp Stadium...
(2 games, Semi Final and Final) |
Brisbane |
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
|
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
(NRL) |
52,500 |
| Skilled Park (2 games) |
Gold CoastGold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
|
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
|
Gold Coast Titans Gold Coast Titans are an Australian professional rugby league football club, based in the Gold Coast, Queensland. The club competes in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership. It is the newest of the sixteen clubs in the league, having commenced its...
(NRL) |
27,000 |
Dairy Farmers StadiumThe Willows Sports Complex, currently known as Dairy Farmers Stadium due to sponsorship rights, is a grass football stadium situated in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It has historically been used mainly for rugby league, and is the home ground of the National Rugby League club the North...
(2 games) |
Townsville |
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
|
North Queensland CowboysThe North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
(NRL) |
25,000 |
| Browne Park Browne Park is a rectangular football stadium located in the Rockhampton suburb of Wandal, Queensland, Australia. The stadium has been the home of rugby league football in Central Queensland since the 1980s and today also hosts rugby union and soccer matches...
(1 game) |
RockhamptonRockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
|
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
|
Central Comets Central Queensland Capras are an semi-professional rugby league football club based in Rockhampton, Queensland. They currently play in the Queensland Cup, the premier rugby league competition in Queensland....
(Queensland CupThe Queensland Cup is the premier rugby league football competition in the State of Queensland, Australia.It is a statewide competition with the majority of teams based in South East Queensland but also including sides based in Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton.The competition began in 1996 as a...
) |
8,000 |
| Sydney Football Stadium (2 games, Opening Ceremony & Semi Final) |
SydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
|
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
|
Sydney RoostersThe Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
(NRL) |
45,500 |
| CUA Stadium (2 games) |
PenrithPenrith is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Penrith is located west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Penrith...
|
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
|
Penrith PanthersThe Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
(NRL) |
21,000 |
| Parramatta Stadium Parramatta Stadium is a sports stadium situated in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia.The stadium is used primarily as the home ground of Australian National Rugby League club the Parramatta Eels...
(2 games) |
ParramattaParramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
|
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
|
Parramatta EelsThe Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
(NRL) |
20,000 |
EnergyAustralia StadiumNewcastle International Sports Centre is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. It is the home ground of the Newcastle Knights and the Newcastle United Jets teams. It is owned by the New South Wales government and administered by the Hunter Region...
(1 game) |
NewcastleThe Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
|
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
|
Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
(NRL) |
26,126 |
| Bluetongue Stadium (1 game) |
Gosford |
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
|
Central Coast Storm (NSWRL) |
20,119 |
WIN StadiumWollongong Showground is a rectangular multi-purpose stadium located in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. The stadium was officially opened in 1911. From 1982 until 1998 it played host to every home match for the Illawarra Steelers NRL team...
(1 game) |
Wollongong |
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
|
St. George Illawarra Dragons (NRL) |
20,000 |
Canberra StadiumCanberra Stadium is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia...
(1 game) |
CanberraCanberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
|
Australian Capital TerritoryThe Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
|
Canberra RaidersThe Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
(NRL) |
25,011 |
Telstra DomeDocklands Stadium is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the Docklands precinct of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
(1 game) |
Melbourne |
VictoriaVictoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
|
Melbourne StormThe Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
(NRL) |
56,347 |
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2011}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2011}}
The
2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the
Rugby League World CupThe Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
since the inauguration of the tournament in
1954The first Rugby League World Cup was held in France in 1954 and officially known as the "Rugby World Cup". The prime motivators behind the idea of holding a rugby league world cup were the French, who were short of money following the seizing of their assets by the rugby union in World War II.The...
, and the first since the
2000The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
event. The tournament was held in Australia from 26 October, culminating in the final between Australia and New Zealand on 22 November.
2008 was the fourth time that the World Cup was held in Australia, the first being in
1957The second Rugby League World Cup was held in Australia in 1957. As before a group stage was held first, with matches being held at locations in Sydney and Brisbane....
. The tournament was won by
New ZealandThe New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
, who defeated Australia 34-20 in the
finalThe 2008 Rugby League World Cup Final was a rugby league match played on 22 November 2008 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The match was the final game of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and determined who would become world champions for the next five years. The match was played between New Zealand...
in one of the greatest upsets in the history of the sport. The tournament featured the best ten teams across the globe which were split into three groups. A total of eighteen matches took place in twelve different venues across four Australian
statesThe Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
. The tournament ended a year of celebrations commemorating the centenary of the game in the
southern hemisphereThe Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
and was part of the
Festival of World CupsThe Festival of World Cups was a series of rugby league World Cups held in Australia during 2008. The Festival was being staged in Australia during 2008 to coincide with their Centenary of Rugby League celebrations. The centrepiece of the Festival was the men's 2008 Rugby League World Cup...
.
The thirteenth Cup was originally scheduled to be held in Australia in 2004, however the lack of international success by
Great BritainThe Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
and
New ZealandThe New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
after the
2000 World CupThe 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
and the rise of the
Tri-Nations tournamentThe Rugby League Tri-Nations was a rugby league tournament involving the top three nations in the sport: Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand...
meant that it was delayed for a further four years. The
Rugby League International FederationThe Rugby League International Federation is the world governing body of rugby league football. It was formed in 1998 in Sydney, Australia. Its purpose is to, "foster, develop, extend, govern and administer the game of Rugby League throughout the world". Its headquarters are in Sydney, Australia,...
officially announced this tournament on 6 May 2006, with further details on scheduling and dates following on 19 April 2007.
The first match took place in Townsville between
EnglandThe England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
and
Papua New GuineaThe Papua New Guinea national rugby league team represents Papua New Guinea internationally in the sport of rugby league football.In Papua New Guinea, Rugby league is highly popular and is regarded as the country’s national sport. The national side are known as the Kumuls...
, although the official opening ceremony of the competition occurred before the Australia and
New ZealandThe New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
match the following day in Sydney. The final took place at Suncorp Stadium in
BrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
.
The tournament proved a commercial success, delivering a profit of $5 million AUD and re-establishing the credibility of the competition.
Draw
The draw, after being confirmed by the RLIF on 19 April 2007, involved three groups. The first group was made up of four teams; Australia, England, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Whilst the other two groups involved three teams each. The semi finals were made up of the first three teams in the first group and the winner of a playoff between the winners of the second and third groups.
The draw was put into doubt after the Papua New Guinea team claimed that it was unfair to them and threatened to boycott the tournament should it not be changed.
Marcus BaiMarcus Bai is a Papua New Guinean former rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. Primarily a winger, he played his final season in 2006 for English Super League team Bradford Bulls. He is the only man to win the World Club Challenge with three different clubs...
, former Papua New Guinean winger and captain, said:
{{bquote|They have to change it and if they don't, we won't come. We will ring up the other island nations and teams elsewhere who don't qualify and we can have our own competition. They have shown no respect for our country or for our efforts to promote the game up there.}}
Fortunately for the tournament, this separate island competition did not eventuate. Papua New Guinea still remained upset with the draw, seeing it as a huge challenge but one which would have seen them be rewarded if they had won. The draw was finalised on 4 October 2007.
Points
Teams received 2 points for a win, and 1 point for a draw. This meant that, unlike in the Australasian
National Rugby LeagueThe National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
, there was no "golden point" rule enforced. In group stages, if two teams had the same number of points then positions were determined on points difference, the number of points scored minus the number of points conceded.
Ranking Matches
After group matches were completed, a match featuring the second placed teams in Group B and Group C took place with the winner receiving 7th place. Similarly the third placed teams in Group B and Group C played off for 9th place. It was believed that these results were to be taken into account in the 2009
RLIF World RankingsThe RLIF World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in the sport of rugby league football. The teams of the member nations of the Rugby League International Federation, rugby league football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful...
.{{citation needed|date=November 2008}}
Teams
{{See also|2008 Rugby League World Cup squads}}
| Team |
Nickname |
Coach |
Captain |
RLIF Rank |
Final Rank |
| {{rl|Australia}} |
The Kangaroos |
Ricky StuartRicky Stuart is an Australian rugby league football coach and former player of the 1980s and 90s. He is currently the head coach of the New South Wales State of Origin team, having replaced Craig Bellamy following a fifth consecutive failure in the 2010 series...
|
Darren LockyerDarren Lockyer is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He was the captain of the Australian national team, the Queensland State of Origin team and his National Rugby League club, the Brisbane Broncos. His professional career spanned between 1995 and 2011...
|
1 |
2 |
| {{rl|England}} |
N/A |
Tony Smith |
Jamie PeacockJames "Jamie" Peacock is an English professional rugby league footballer for the Leeds Rhinos of the European Super League...
|
3 |
3/4 |
| {{rl|Fiji}} |
The Bati |
Joe Dakuitoga Joe Dakuitoga is the coach of the Fiji Bati. He coached them in the 2008 World Cup.-External links:*...
|
Wes NaiqamaWes Naiqama is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Newcastle Knights of the National Rugby League competition. Also the incumbent Fiji national team captain, his usual position is in the centres...
|
6 |
3/4 |
| {{rl|France}} |
Les Chanticleers |
John Monie John Monie is a former professional rugby league coach and player. He is probably best known for his coaching career where he won premierships in both Australia and England.-Playing career:...
|
Jerome Guisset Jérôme Guisset is a formerFrench professional rugby league player. He recently played for Catalans Dragons as prop or second row, but he retired at the end of the 2010 season, and is now the assistant coach at the club....
|
5 |
10 |
| {{rl|Ireland}} |
The Wolfhounds |
Andy Kelly Andy Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the Arena Football League. He played in the AFL for fifteen seasons. He also played for two seasons for the Rhein Fire of the former World League of American Football....
|
Scott GrixScott Grix is an Irish professional rugby league footballer for the Huddersfield Giants of Super League. The Ireland national team captain, he played throughout the backline previously with Halifax , Doncaster, Limoux, Warrington Wolves, Leigh Centurions, Widnes and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats...
|
9 |
5/6 |
| {{rl|NZ}} |
The Kiwis |
Stephen KearneyStephen Peter Kearney, ONZM is a professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Parramatta Eels in the NRL as well as the New Zealand national team...
|
Nathan CaylessNathan Frederick Cayless is a retired New Zealand-Australian professional rugby league footballer, who was a long-time captain the Parramatta Eels of the National Rugby League. His position of choice was prop forward. He is also a former captain of the New Zealand national team, whom he led to...
|
2 |
1 |
| {{rl|Papua New Guinea}} |
The Kumuls |
Adrian LamAdrian Lam is an Australian rugby league football coach and former international player. He is the head coach of the under 20 St George Dragons squad National Rugby League team he signed with them in 2010 and will combine with coaching legend Wayne Bennett.He is a former Papua New Guinea rugby...
|
John WilshereJohn Wilshere is a Papua New Guinean professional rugby league footballer who recently left Salford City Reds at the end of the 2009 season.-Playing career:He is a household name in Papua New Guinea, where rugby league is the national sport...
|
7 |
5/6 |
| {{rl|Samoa}} |
Toa Samoa |
John Ackland |
Nigel VaganaNigel Vagana is a retired professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. A New Zealand and Samoa international representative centre, he retired as the Kiwis' all-time top try-scorer with 19...
|
12 |
9 |
| {{rl|Scotland}} |
The Bravehearts |
Steve McCormack Steve McCormack is the former head coach of National League One club Widnes. He is currently head coach of Scotland RL and SwintonHis first coaching appointment had been at Salford, who made him the youngest coach in Super League at the age of just 28 in 2001 but was sacked just 10 months later.He...
|
Danny BroughDanny Brough is a Dewsbury born English international rugby league footballer.Danny Brough plays for the Huddersfield Giants in Super League. He has also played for the Scotland...
|
11 |
8 |
| {{rl|Tonga}} |
Mate Ma'a Tonga |
Jim DymockJim Dymock is an Australian former professional rugby league international of Tongan heritage who played for the Western Suburbs Magpies, Canterbury Bulldogs, Parramatta Eels and London Broncos...
|
Lopini PaeaLopini Paea is an Australian rugby league player of Tongan descent who currently plays for the Catalans Dragons in the European Super League. He previously played for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League...
|
4 |
7 |
Qualification
{{main|2008 Rugby League World Cup qualifying}}
Automatic Entry
The following teams were given automatic entry into the World Cup:
Tournaments
- Pacific Qualifying Group
- Winner {{rl|Tonga}}
- Runner-up {{rl|Fiji}}
- Europe group one
- Europe group two
- Repechage Winner
The five remaining places in the World Cup were determined by qualification rounds. Two European rounds and Pacific, Atlantic and Repêchage rounds were scheduled.
TongaThe Tonga national rugby league team is a national sporting side, representing Tonga in rugby league football. Rugby league is a popular sport in Tonga, and the national team has become one of the best performed nations in the world...
and
Fiji-Competitions:Fiji have participated in:*Pacific Cup *World Cup *World Sevens *Superleague World Nines *Superleague Oceania Tournament *Pacific Rim Competition -Results:...
became the first two nations to qualify after Tonga defeated
Samoa-Notable Players & Coaches:* John Ackland * Steve Kaiser Coach 1990 - 1994* Steve Kaiser 1986* Afi Ah Koui 1986* Andrew Ah Koui 1986* George Apelu 1986* Fa'ausu Afoa circa-1995* Wing Afoa 1990 - 1994* Isaak Ah Mau circa-2006...
18-10 in
LeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
on 22 October, forcing Samoa to enter the repêchage. In the European Group Two,
IrelandThe Ireland national rugby league team, known as the Wolfhounds, represent the island of Ireland in rugby league football. The team is organized by Rugby League Ireland and are accredited as an affiliate member of the Rugby League International Federation...
drew 16-16 with
LebanonThe Lebanon national rugby league team is the representative side of Lebanon in rugby league football. They are nicknamed "The Cedars" after the Lebanon Cedar tree, which is also on the Lebanese flag. The team has been participating in international competition since 1998 and has quickly became one...
to ensure qualification, while Lebanon were forced to enter the repêchage. The final automatic place went to
ScotlandThe Scotland national rugby league team represent Scotland in international rugby league football tournaments. The team is run under the auspices of the Scotland Rugby League, and are nicknamed The Bravehearts. Scotland are not regarded as a test nation...
, who defeated
WalesThe Wales national rugby league team represent Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is seventh in the RLIF World Rankings. The team were run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from...
37-32 on aggregate after two legs. Wales then faced Lebanon in the repêchage semi-final, where they lost in a surprise 50-26 defeat, to knock them out of World Cup Qualifying. Lebanon then faced Samoa, who beat
USA-2008 & 2013 Rugby League World Cup Qualifying:In October 2006, The Tomahawks were to participate in a four team Atlantic qualifying pool for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, but South Africa and the West Indies withdrew. As a result, The Atlantic qualifying pool was reduced to a single game...
42-10 in the first semi-final, on 14 November for the final qualifying position. The game was won by Samoa, 38-16, and so they booked the tenth and final place. Many qualification matches were broadcast live by Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, whilst BigPondTV broadcast matches online for other fans around the world.
Match Officials
Six referees from four countries controlled matches in the tournament. These four nations also provided touch judges while England and Australia provided the video referees.
{{col-begin|width=100%}}
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}
|-
|
Early Modern France
| {{sortname|Jose|Perrara}}
|-
|
New Zealand
| {{sortname|Adam|Burns}}
|-
|
Australia
| {{sortname|Steve|Chiddy}}
|-
|
Australia
| {{sortname|Paul|Holland|Paul Holland (referee)}}
|-
|
Australia
| {{sortname|Bernard|Sutton}}
|-
|
Australia
| {{sortname|Gerard|Sutton}}
|-
|
Australia
| {{sortname|Russell|Turner|Russell Turner (referee)}}
|-
|
Australia
| {{sortname|Tony|De Las Heras}}
|}
{{col-3}}
{{col-end}}
Pink Charity Shirts
In support of the Australian
National Breast Cancer FoundationThe National Breast Cancer Foundation is the leading community-funded national organisation in Australia, supporting and promoting research for the prevention and cure of breast cancer....
referees wore pastel pink shirts while officiating matches to raise awareness. The shirts, which carried the NBCF logo on the collar, were signed by the team captains at each World Cup game and were later auctioned off with the proceeds going to the NBCF.
Venues
|
|
|
Suncorp Stadium |
Telstra Dome |
Sydney Football Stadium |
| Stadium |
City |
State |
Home teams |
Capacity |
Suncorp StadiumLang Park is the original name of the site located in the Brisbane suburb of Milton, Queensland, Australia, now occupied by the major sports facility known by its sponsorship name, Suncorp Stadium...
(2 games, Semi Final and Final) |
Brisbane |
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
|
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
(NRL) |
52,500 |
| Skilled Park (2 games) |
Gold CoastGold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
|
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
|
Gold Coast Titans Gold Coast Titans are an Australian professional rugby league football club, based in the Gold Coast, Queensland. The club competes in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership. It is the newest of the sixteen clubs in the league, having commenced its...
(NRL) |
27,000 |
Dairy Farmers StadiumThe Willows Sports Complex, currently known as Dairy Farmers Stadium due to sponsorship rights, is a grass football stadium situated in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It has historically been used mainly for rugby league, and is the home ground of the National Rugby League club the North...
(2 games) |
Townsville |
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
|
North Queensland CowboysThe North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
(NRL) |
25,000 |
| Browne Park Browne Park is a rectangular football stadium located in the Rockhampton suburb of Wandal, Queensland, Australia. The stadium has been the home of rugby league football in Central Queensland since the 1980s and today also hosts rugby union and soccer matches...
(1 game) |
RockhamptonRockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
|
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
|
Central Comets Central Queensland Capras are an semi-professional rugby league football club based in Rockhampton, Queensland. They currently play in the Queensland Cup, the premier rugby league competition in Queensland....
(Queensland CupThe Queensland Cup is the premier rugby league football competition in the State of Queensland, Australia.It is a statewide competition with the majority of teams based in South East Queensland but also including sides based in Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton.The competition began in 1996 as a...
) |
8,000 |
| Sydney Football Stadium (2 games, Opening Ceremony & Semi Final) |
SydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
|
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
|
Sydney RoostersThe Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
(NRL) |
45,500 |
| CUA Stadium (2 games) |
PenrithPenrith is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Penrith is located west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Penrith...
|
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
|
Penrith PanthersThe Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
(NRL) |
21,000 |
| Parramatta Stadium Parramatta Stadium is a sports stadium situated in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia.The stadium is used primarily as the home ground of Australian National Rugby League club the Parramatta Eels...
(2 games) |
ParramattaParramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
|
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
|
Parramatta EelsThe Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
(NRL) |
20,000 |
EnergyAustralia StadiumNewcastle International Sports Centre is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. It is the home ground of the Newcastle Knights and the Newcastle United Jets teams. It is owned by the New South Wales government and administered by the Hunter Region...
(1 game) |
NewcastleThe Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
|
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
|
Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
(NRL) |
26,126 |
| Bluetongue Stadium (1 game) |
Gosford |
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
|
Central Coast Storm (NSWRL) |
20,119 |
WIN StadiumWollongong Showground is a rectangular multi-purpose stadium located in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. The stadium was officially opened in 1911. From 1982 until 1998 it played host to every home match for the Illawarra Steelers NRL team...
(1 game) |
Wollongong |
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
|
St. George Illawarra Dragons (NRL) |
20,000 |
Canberra StadiumCanberra Stadium is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia...
(1 game) |
CanberraCanberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
|
Australian Capital TerritoryThe Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
|
Canberra RaidersThe Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
(NRL) |
25,011 |
Telstra DomeDocklands Stadium is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the Docklands precinct of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
(1 game) |
Melbourne |
VictoriaVictoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
|
Melbourne StormThe Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
(NRL) |
56,347 |
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2011}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2011}}
The
2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the
Rugby League World CupThe Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
since the inauguration of the tournament in
1954The first Rugby League World Cup was held in France in 1954 and officially known as the "Rugby World Cup". The prime motivators behind the idea of holding a rugby league world cup were the French, who were short of money following the seizing of their assets by the rugby union in World War II.The...
, and the first since the
2000The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
event. The tournament was held in Australia from 26 October, culminating in the final between Australia and New Zealand on 22 November.
2008 was the fourth time that the World Cup was held in Australia, the first being in
1957The second Rugby League World Cup was held in Australia in 1957. As before a group stage was held first, with matches being held at locations in Sydney and Brisbane....
. The tournament was won by
New ZealandThe New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
, who defeated Australia 34-20 in the
finalThe 2008 Rugby League World Cup Final was a rugby league match played on 22 November 2008 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The match was the final game of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and determined who would become world champions for the next five years. The match was played between New Zealand...
in one of the greatest upsets in the history of the sport. The tournament featured the best ten teams across the globe which were split into three groups. A total of eighteen matches took place in twelve different venues across four Australian
statesThe Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
. The tournament ended a year of celebrations commemorating the centenary of the game in the
southern hemisphereThe Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
and was part of the
Festival of World CupsThe Festival of World Cups was a series of rugby league World Cups held in Australia during 2008. The Festival was being staged in Australia during 2008 to coincide with their Centenary of Rugby League celebrations. The centrepiece of the Festival was the men's 2008 Rugby League World Cup...
.
The thirteenth Cup was originally scheduled to be held in Australia in 2004, however the lack of international success by
Great BritainThe Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
and
New ZealandThe New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
after the
2000 World CupThe 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
and the rise of the
Tri-Nations tournamentThe Rugby League Tri-Nations was a rugby league tournament involving the top three nations in the sport: Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand...
meant that it was delayed for a further four years. The
Rugby League International FederationThe Rugby League International Federation is the world governing body of rugby league football. It was formed in 1998 in Sydney, Australia. Its purpose is to, "foster, develop, extend, govern and administer the game of Rugby League throughout the world". Its headquarters are in Sydney, Australia,...
officially announced this tournament on 6 May 2006, with further details on scheduling and dates following on 19 April 2007.
The first match took place in Townsville between
EnglandThe England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
and
Papua New GuineaThe Papua New Guinea national rugby league team represents Papua New Guinea internationally in the sport of rugby league football.In Papua New Guinea, Rugby league is highly popular and is regarded as the country’s national sport. The national side are known as the Kumuls...
, although the official opening ceremony of the competition occurred before the Australia and
New ZealandThe New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
match the following day in Sydney. The final took place at Suncorp Stadium in
BrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
.
The tournament proved a commercial success, delivering a profit of $5 million AUD and re-establishing the credibility of the competition.
Draw
The draw, after being confirmed by the RLIF on 19 April 2007, involved three groups. The first group was made up of four teams; Australia, England, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Whilst the other two groups involved three teams each. The semi finals were made up of the first three teams in the first group and the winner of a playoff between the winners of the second and third groups.
The draw was put into doubt after the Papua New Guinea team claimed that it was unfair to them and threatened to boycott the tournament should it not be changed.
Marcus BaiMarcus Bai is a Papua New Guinean former rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. Primarily a winger, he played his final season in 2006 for English Super League team Bradford Bulls. He is the only man to win the World Club Challenge with three different clubs...
, former Papua New Guinean winger and captain, said:
{{bquote|They have to change it and if they don't, we won't come. We will ring up the other island nations and teams elsewhere who don't qualify and we can have our own competition. They have shown no respect for our country or for our efforts to promote the game up there.}}
Fortunately for the tournament, this separate island competition did not eventuate. Papua New Guinea still remained upset with the draw, seeing it as a huge challenge but one which would have seen them be rewarded if they had won. The draw was finalised on 4 October 2007.
Points
Teams received 2 points for a win, and 1 point for a draw. This meant that, unlike in the Australasian
National Rugby LeagueThe National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
, there was no "golden point" rule enforced. In group stages, if two teams had the same number of points then positions were determined on points difference, the number of points scored minus the number of points conceded.
Ranking Matches
After group matches were completed, a match featuring the second placed teams in Group B and Group C took place with the winner receiving 7th place. Similarly the third placed teams in Group B and Group C played off for 9th place. It was believed that these results were to be taken into account in the 2009
RLIF World RankingsThe RLIF World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in the sport of rugby league football. The teams of the member nations of the Rugby League International Federation, rugby league football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful...
.{{citation needed|date=November 2008}}
Teams
{{See also|2008 Rugby League World Cup squads}}
| Team |
Nickname |
Coach |
Captain |
RLIF Rank |
Final Rank |
| {{rl|Australia}} |
The Kangaroos |
Ricky StuartRicky Stuart is an Australian rugby league football coach and former player of the 1980s and 90s. He is currently the head coach of the New South Wales State of Origin team, having replaced Craig Bellamy following a fifth consecutive failure in the 2010 series...
|
Darren LockyerDarren Lockyer is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He was the captain of the Australian national team, the Queensland State of Origin team and his National Rugby League club, the Brisbane Broncos. His professional career spanned between 1995 and 2011...
|
1 |
2 |
| {{rl|England}} |
N/A |
Tony Smith |
Jamie PeacockJames "Jamie" Peacock is an English professional rugby league footballer for the Leeds Rhinos of the European Super League...
|
3 |
3/4 |
| {{rl|Fiji}} |
The Bati |
Joe Dakuitoga Joe Dakuitoga is the coach of the Fiji Bati. He coached them in the 2008 World Cup.-External links:*...
|
Wes NaiqamaWes Naiqama is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Newcastle Knights of the National Rugby League competition. Also the incumbent Fiji national team captain, his usual position is in the centres...
|
6 |
3/4 |
| {{rl|France}} |
Les Chanticleers |
John Monie John Monie is a former professional rugby league coach and player. He is probably best known for his coaching career where he won premierships in both Australia and England.-Playing career:...
|
Jerome Guisset Jérôme Guisset is a formerFrench professional rugby league player. He recently played for Catalans Dragons as prop or second row, but he retired at the end of the 2010 season, and is now the assistant coach at the club....
|
5 |
10 |
| {{rl|Ireland}} |
The Wolfhounds |
Andy Kelly Andy Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the Arena Football League. He played in the AFL for fifteen seasons. He also played for two seasons for the Rhein Fire of the former World League of American Football....
|
Scott GrixScott Grix is an Irish professional rugby league footballer for the Huddersfield Giants of Super League. The Ireland national team captain, he played throughout the backline previously with Halifax , Doncaster, Limoux, Warrington Wolves, Leigh Centurions, Widnes and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats...
|
9 |
5/6 |
| {{rl|NZ}} |
The Kiwis |
Stephen KearneyStephen Peter Kearney, ONZM is a professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Parramatta Eels in the NRL as well as the New Zealand national team...
|
Nathan CaylessNathan Frederick Cayless is a retired New Zealand-Australian professional rugby league footballer, who was a long-time captain the Parramatta Eels of the National Rugby League. His position of choice was prop forward. He is also a former captain of the New Zealand national team, whom he led to...
|
2 |
1 |
| {{rl|Papua New Guinea}} |
The Kumuls |
Adrian LamAdrian Lam is an Australian rugby league football coach and former international player. He is the head coach of the under 20 St George Dragons squad National Rugby League team he signed with them in 2010 and will combine with coaching legend Wayne Bennett.He is a former Papua New Guinea rugby...
|
John WilshereJohn Wilshere is a Papua New Guinean professional rugby league footballer who recently left Salford City Reds at the end of the 2009 season.-Playing career:He is a household name in Papua New Guinea, where rugby league is the national sport...
|
7 |
5/6 |
| {{rl|Samoa}} |
Toa Samoa |
John Ackland |
Nigel VaganaNigel Vagana is a retired professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. A New Zealand and Samoa international representative centre, he retired as the Kiwis' all-time top try-scorer with 19...
|
12 |
9 |
| {{rl|Scotland}} |
The Bravehearts |
Steve McCormack Steve McCormack is the former head coach of National League One club Widnes. He is currently head coach of Scotland RL and SwintonHis first coaching appointment had been at Salford, who made him the youngest coach in Super League at the age of just 28 in 2001 but was sacked just 10 months later.He...
|
Danny BroughDanny Brough is a Dewsbury born English international rugby league footballer.Danny Brough plays for the Huddersfield Giants in Super League. He has also played for the Scotland...
|
11 |
8 |
| {{rl|Tonga}} |
Mate Ma'a Tonga |
Jim DymockJim Dymock is an Australian former professional rugby league international of Tongan heritage who played for the Western Suburbs Magpies, Canterbury Bulldogs, Parramatta Eels and London Broncos...
|
Lopini PaeaLopini Paea is an Australian rugby league player of Tongan descent who currently plays for the Catalans Dragons in the European Super League. He previously played for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League...
|
4 |
7 |
Qualification
{{main|2008 Rugby League World Cup qualifying}}
Automatic Entry
The following teams were given automatic entry into the World Cup:
Tournaments
- Pacific Qualifying Group
- Winner {{rl|Tonga}}
- Runner-up {{rl|Fiji}}
- Europe group one
- Europe group two
- Repechage Winner
The five remaining places in the World Cup were determined by qualification rounds. Two European rounds and Pacific, Atlantic and Repêchage rounds were scheduled.
TongaThe Tonga national rugby league team is a national sporting side, representing Tonga in rugby league football. Rugby league is a popular sport in Tonga, and the national team has become one of the best performed nations in the world...
and
Fiji-Competitions:Fiji have participated in:*Pacific Cup *World Cup *World Sevens *Superleague World Nines *Superleague Oceania Tournament *Pacific Rim Competition -Results:...
became the first two nations to qualify after Tonga defeated
Samoa-Notable Players & Coaches:* John Ackland * Steve Kaiser Coach 1990 - 1994* Steve Kaiser 1986* Afi Ah Koui 1986* Andrew Ah Koui 1986* George Apelu 1986* Fa'ausu Afoa circa-1995* Wing Afoa 1990 - 1994* Isaak Ah Mau circa-2006...
18-10 in
LeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
on 22 October, forcing Samoa to enter the repêchage. In the European Group Two,
IrelandThe Ireland national rugby league team, known as the Wolfhounds, represent the island of Ireland in rugby league football. The team is organized by Rugby League Ireland and are accredited as an affiliate member of the Rugby League International Federation...
drew 16-16 with
LebanonThe Lebanon national rugby league team is the representative side of Lebanon in rugby league football. They are nicknamed "The Cedars" after the Lebanon Cedar tree, which is also on the Lebanese flag. The team has been participating in international competition since 1998 and has quickly became one...
to ensure qualification, while Lebanon were forced to enter the repêchage. The final automatic place went to
ScotlandThe Scotland national rugby league team represent Scotland in international rugby league football tournaments. The team is run under the auspices of the Scotland Rugby League, and are nicknamed The Bravehearts. Scotland are not regarded as a test nation...
, who defeated
WalesThe Wales national rugby league team represent Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is seventh in the RLIF World Rankings. The team were run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from...
37-32 on aggregate after two legs. Wales then faced Lebanon in the repêchage semi-final, where they lost in a surprise 50-26 defeat, to knock them out of World Cup Qualifying. Lebanon then faced Samoa, who beat
USA-2008 & 2013 Rugby League World Cup Qualifying:In October 2006, The Tomahawks were to participate in a four team Atlantic qualifying pool for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, but South Africa and the West Indies withdrew. As a result, The Atlantic qualifying pool was reduced to a single game...
42-10 in the first semi-final, on 14 November for the final qualifying position. The game was won by Samoa, 38-16, and so they booked the tenth and final place. Many qualification matches were broadcast live by Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, whilst BigPondTV broadcast matches online for other fans around the world.
Match Officials
Six referees from four countries controlled matches in the tournament. These four nations also provided touch judges while England and Australia provided the video referees.
{{col-begin|width=100%}}
{{col-3}}
{{col-3}}
}
|-
|
Early Modern France
| {{sortname|Jose|Perrara}}
|-
|
New Zealand
| {{sortname|Adam|Burns}}
|-
|
Australia
| {{sortname|Steve|Chiddy}}
|-
|
Australia
| {{sortname|Paul|Holland|Paul Holland (referee)}}
|-
|
Australia
| {{sortname|Bernard|Sutton}}
|-
|
Australia
| {{sortname|Gerard|Sutton}}
|-
|
Australia
| {{sortname|Russell|Turner|Russell Turner (referee)}}
|-
|
Australia
| {{sortname|Tony|De Las Heras}}
|}
{{col-3}}
{{col-end}}
Pink Charity Shirts
In support of the Australian
National Breast Cancer FoundationThe National Breast Cancer Foundation is the leading community-funded national organisation in Australia, supporting and promoting research for the prevention and cure of breast cancer....
referees wore pastel pink shirts while officiating matches to raise awareness. The shirts, which carried the NBCF logo on the collar, were signed by the team captains at each World Cup game and were later auctioned off with the proceeds going to the NBCF.
Venues
|
|
|
Suncorp Stadium |
Telstra Dome |
Sydney Football Stadium |
| Stadium |
City |
State |
Home teams |
Capacity |
Suncorp StadiumLang Park is the original name of the site located in the Brisbane suburb of Milton, Queensland, Australia, now occupied by the major sports facility known by its sponsorship name, Suncorp Stadium...
(2 games, Semi Final and Final) |
Brisbane |
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
|
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
(NRL) |
52,500 |
| Skilled Park (2 games) |
Gold CoastGold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
|
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
|
Gold Coast Titans Gold Coast Titans are an Australian professional rugby league football club, based in the Gold Coast, Queensland. The club competes in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership. It is the newest of the sixteen clubs in the league, having commenced its...
(NRL) |
27,000 |
Dairy Farmers StadiumThe Willows Sports Complex, currently known as Dairy Farmers Stadium due to sponsorship rights, is a grass football stadium situated in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It has historically been used mainly for rugby league, and is the home ground of the National Rugby League club the North...
(2 games) |
Townsville |
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
|
North Queensland CowboysThe North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
(NRL) |
25,000 |
| Browne Park Browne Park is a rectangular football stadium located in the Rockhampton suburb of Wandal, Queensland, Australia. The stadium has been the home of rugby league football in Central Queensland since the 1980s and today also hosts rugby union and soccer matches...
(1 game) |
RockhamptonRockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
|
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
|
Central Comets Central Queensland Capras are an semi-professional rugby league football club based in Rockhampton, Queensland. They currently play in the Queensland Cup, the premier rugby league competition in Queensland....
(Queensland CupThe Queensland Cup is the premier rugby league football competition in the State of Queensland, Australia.It is a statewide competition with the majority of teams based in South East Queensland but also including sides based in Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton.The competition began in 1996 as a...
) |
8,000 |
| Sydney Football Stadium (2 games, Opening Ceremony & Semi Final) |
SydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
|
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
|
Sydney RoostersThe Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
(NRL) |
45,500 |
| CUA Stadium (2 games) |
PenrithPenrith is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Penrith is located west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Penrith...
|
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
|
Penrith PanthersThe Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
(NRL) |
21,000 |
| Parramatta Stadium Parramatta Stadium is a sports stadium situated in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia.The stadium is used primarily as the home ground of Australian National Rugby League club the Parramatta Eels...
(2 games) |
ParramattaParramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
|
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
|
Parramatta EelsThe Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
(NRL) |
20,000 |
EnergyAustralia StadiumNewcastle International Sports Centre is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. It is the home ground of the Newcastle Knights and the Newcastle United Jets teams. It is owned by the New South Wales government and administered by the Hunter Region...
(1 game) |
NewcastleThe Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
|
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
|
Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
(NRL) |
26,126 |
| Bluetongue Stadium (1 game) |
Gosford |
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
|
Central Coast Storm (NSWRL) |
20,119 |
WIN StadiumWollongong Showground is a rectangular multi-purpose stadium located in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. The stadium was officially opened in 1911. From 1982 until 1998 it played host to every home match for the Illawarra Steelers NRL team...
(1 game) |
Wollongong |
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
|
St. George Illawarra Dragons (NRL) |
20,000 |
Canberra StadiumCanberra Stadium is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia...
(1 game) |
CanberraCanberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
|
Australian Capital TerritoryThe Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
|
Canberra RaidersThe Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
(NRL) |
25,011 |
Telstra DomeDocklands Stadium is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the Docklands precinct of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
(1 game) |
Melbourne |
VictoriaVictoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
|
Melbourne StormThe Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
(NRL) |
56,347 |
{{2008RLWC map
Opening Ceremony
On Sunday night, 26 October, the Sydney Football Stadium hosted the Opening Ceremony of the World Cup. It started with
Greg InglisGreg Inglis is an Australian professional rugby league player for the South Sydney Rabbitohs. A Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative outside back, Inglis joined the Rabbitohs in 2011 after much controversy.Inglis is a versatile back, having played in several...
reciting a speech about "Playing Fair". Following Inglis' speech there was an Aboriginal
Smoking CeremonyA smoking ceremony is an ancient custom among Indigenous Australians that involves smoldering various native plants to produce smoke which they believe has cleansing properties and the ability to ward off bad spirits....
to welcome all the athletes and participants. This included a rather large sized
Rainbow SerpentThe Rainbow Serpent is a common motif in the art and mythology of Aboriginal Australia. It is named for the snake-like meandering of water across a landscape and the colour spectrum caused when sunlight strikes water at an appropriate angle relative to the observer.The Rainbow Serpent is seen as...
which represented the Aboriginal Dreamtime. The last part of the ceremony involved a performance of the Rugby League World Cup anthem "Hero" by
Natalie BassingthwaighteNatalie Bassingthwaighte is an Australian actress, singer-songwriter and television personality. She began her career as an actress on the television series All Saints. She then starred in the American television movie Counterstrike...
. A curtain raiser to the Australia vs. New Zealand match included an
Indigenous AustralianThe Australia Aboriginal rugby league team is a rugby league football team that represents Australian Aborigines...
squad playing against
New Zealand Māori-See also:* New Zealand national rugby league team* New Zealand Māori rugby union team* New Zealand Māori cricket team-External links:* Google Books...
which featured several prominent NRL players and rising stars, including
Chris SandowChris Sandow is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league player who previously played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the National Rugby League competition but from the 2012 NRL season, Sandow will play for the Parramatta Eels...
,
Wairangi KoopuWairangi Koopu is a professional rugby league player for the Pt Chev Pirates in New Zealand. Koopu primarily plays in the second row, although he also can play in the centres.-Early years:...
,
Preston CampbellPreston Campbell, is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League...
,
Sam ThaidaySamuel H. "Sam" Thaiday is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who captains the Brisbane Broncos of the National Rugby League. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative forward, he has spent all of his career at the Broncos, with whom he won the 2006...
,
Shaun Kenny-DowallShaun Kenny-Dowall is a professional rugby league footballer for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League competition. He primarily plays in the centres.-Early years:...
and
Carl WebbCarl Webb , is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer for the Parramatta Eels of the National Rugby League. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative forward, he previously played for the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys...
.
Group stage
{{main|2008 Rugby League World Cup matches}}
All teams from group A (shaded in green) with the exception of the bottom qualifying team progressed to the semi-finals, the other two groups the top finisher progressed to a playoff match, in which the winner would qualify to the semi-finals.
Group A
{{RLWC08 PoolA}}
{{rugbyleaguebox
|date=25 October 2008
|team1={{rl-rt|ENG}}
|score=32 – 22
|report=
Report
|team2={{rl|PNG}}
|points1=
|points2=
|stadium=
Dairy Farmers StadiumThe Willows Sports Complex, currently known as Dairy Farmers Stadium due to sponsorship rights, is a grass football stadium situated in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It has historically been used mainly for rugby league, and is the home ground of the National Rugby League club the North...
, Townsville
|attendance=10,780
|referee=
Shayne HayneShane Hayne, born Kevin John Hayne in Wellington, NSW in 1967, is an Australian rugby league referee in the National Rugby League . He has officiated in State of Origin since game II in 2007, the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and the 2009 NRL Grand Final....
(
AustraliaThe Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
)
|manofmatch=
James RobyJames Roby is an English professional rugby league footballer for St. Helens of Super League. A Great Britain and England international representative hooker, he has played his entire professional career to date at St Helens, winning the 2006 Super League XI Championship with them.-Career:Roby...
}}
England survived a scare from Papua New Guinea who led at half time to win the first match of the tournament.
----
{{rugbyleaguebox
|date=26 October 2008
|team1={{rl-rt|AUS}}
|score=30 – 6
|report=
Report
|team2={{rl|NZL}}
|points1=
|points2=
|stadium=Sydney Football Stadium,
SydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
|attendance=34,157
|referee=
Ashley KleinAshley Klein is an Australian rugby league referee.Klein arrived in England as a youngster and refereed his first few games in the Rugby League Conference travelling up from London....
(
EnglandThe Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
)
|manofmatch=
Johnathan ThurstonJohnathan Dean Thurston is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league footballer in the NRL with the North Queensland Cowboys whom he co-captains...
}}
After the tournament's opening ceremony, Johnathan Thurston inspired Australia to a comfortable victory over their arch rivals New Zealand despite mourning the death of his uncle the previous day.
----
{{rugbyleaguebox
|date=1 November 2008
|team1={{rl-rt|NZL}}
|score=48 – 6
|report=
Report
|team2={{rl|PNG}}
|points1=
|points2=
|stadium=Skilled Park,
Gold CoastGold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
|attendance=11,278
|referee=
Steve GansonSteve Ganson is a rugby league referee. He is the second professional referee from the town as Premier League referee Chris Foy also hails from St Helens.- First games :...
(
EnglandThe Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
)
|manofmatch=
Adam BlairAdam Blair is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer currently contracted to the Melbourne Storm of the National Rugby League until 1 November 2011, when he will join the Wests Tigers. A New Zealand international representative forward, Blair spent six seasons with the Storm, winning...
}}
New Zealand's thorough ravaging of Papua New Guinea's defence meant the Kumuls had to win against their next opponents Australia in order to stay in the tournament.
----
{{rugbyleaguebox
|date=2 November 2008
|team1={{rl-rt|AUS}}
|score=52 – 4
|report=
Report
|team2={{rl|ENG}}
|points1=
|points2=
|stadium=
Telstra DomeDocklands Stadium is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the Docklands precinct of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
,
MelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
|attendance=36,297
|referee=Tony Archer (
AustraliaThe Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
) }}
Australia's winning margin over England was the largest of the tournament so far and guaranteed the Kangaroos would go on to the finals.
----
{{rugbyleaguebox
|date=8 November 2008
|team1={{rl-rt|ENG}}
|score=24 – 36
|report=
Report
|team2={{rl|NZL}}
|points1=
|points2=
|stadium=
EnergyAustralia StadiumNewcastle International Sports Centre is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. It is the home ground of the Newcastle Knights and the Newcastle United Jets teams. It is owned by the New South Wales government and administered by the Hunter Region...
,
NewcastleThe Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
|attendance=15,145
|referee=
Tony ArcherTony Archer is a rugby league referee who currently controls matches in the National Rugby League and a Police Prosecutor.-Rugby league career:...
(
AustraliaThe Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
) }}
Despite getting out to a 24 - 8 lead early in the match, England's woes continued as they were blitzed in the second half by New Zealand's five unanswered tries.
----
{{rugbyleaguebox
|date=9 November 2008
|team1={{rl-rt|AUS}}
|score=46 – 6
|report=
Report
|team2={{rl|PNG}}
|points1=
|points2=
|stadium=
Dairy Farmers StadiumThe Willows Sports Complex, currently known as Dairy Farmers Stadium due to sponsorship rights, is a grass football stadium situated in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It has historically been used mainly for rugby league, and is the home ground of the National Rugby League club the North...
, Townsville
|attendance=16,239
|referee=
Steve GansonSteve Ganson is a rugby league referee. He is the second professional referee from the town as Premier League referee Chris Foy also hails from St Helens.- First games :...
(
EnglandThe Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
) }}
Group B
{{RLWC08 PoolB}}
{{rugbyleaguebox
|date=26 October 2008
|team1={{rl-rt|FRA}}
|score=36 – 18
|report=
Report
|team2={{rl|SCO}}
|points1=
|points2=
|stadium=
Canberra StadiumCanberra Stadium is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia...
,
CanberraCanberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
|attendance=9,287
|referee=
Leon WilliamsonLeon Williamson is a New Zealand rugby league referee. A former international referee, Williamson has also controlled Auckland Rugby League, New Zealand Rugby League, Rugby Football League Championship and Toyota Cup matches...
(
New ZealandThe New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....
) }}
----
{{rugbyleaguebox
|date=1 November 2008
|team1={{rl-rt|FIJ}}
|score=42 – 6
|report=
Report
|team2={{rl|FRA}}
|points1=
|points2=
|stadium=
WIN StadiumWollongong Showground is a rectangular multi-purpose stadium located in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. The stadium was officially opened in 1911. From 1982 until 1998 it played host to every home match for the Illawarra Steelers NRL team...
, Wollongong
|attendance=9,213
|referee=
Ashley KleinAshley Klein is an Australian rugby league referee.Klein arrived in England as a youngster and refereed his first few games in the Rugby League Conference travelling up from London....
(
EnglandThe Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
) }}
----
{{rugbyleaguebox
|date=5 November 2008
|team1={{rl-rt|SCO}}
|score=18 – 16
|report=
Report
|team2={{rl|FIJ}}
|points1=
|points2=
|stadium=Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford
|attendance=9,720
|referee=
Leon WilliamsonLeon Williamson is a New Zealand rugby league referee. A former international referee, Williamson has also controlled Auckland Rugby League, New Zealand Rugby League, Rugby Football League Championship and Toyota Cup matches...
(
New ZealandThe New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....
) }}
Group C
{{RLWC08 PoolC}}
{{rugbyleaguebox
|date=27 October 2008
|team1={{rl-rt|TON}}
|score=22 – 20
|report=
Report
|team2={{rl|Ireland}}
|points1=
|points2=
|stadium=
Parramatta StadiumParramatta Stadium is a sports stadium situated in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia.The stadium is used primarily as the home ground of Australian National Rugby League club the Parramatta Eels...
,
SydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
|attendance=6,165
|referee=
Steve GansonSteve Ganson is a rugby league referee. He is the second professional referee from the town as Premier League referee Chris Foy also hails from St Helens.- First games :...
(
EnglandThe Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
) }}
----
{{rugbyleaguebox
|date=31 October 2008
|team1={{rl-rt|SAM}}
|score=20 – 12
|report=
Report
|team2={{rl|TON}}
|points1=
|points2=
|stadium=CUA Stadium,
PenrithPenrith is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Penrith is located west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Penrith...
|attendance=11,787
|referee=
Shayne HayneShane Hayne, born Kevin John Hayne in Wellington, NSW in 1967, is an Australian rugby league referee in the National Rugby League . He has officiated in State of Origin since game II in 2007, the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and the 2009 NRL Grand Final....
(
AustraliaThe Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
) }}
----
{{rugbyleaguebox
|date=5 November 2008
|team1={{rl-rt|Ireland}}
|score=34 – 16
|report=
Report
|team2={{rl|SAM}}
|points1=
|points2=
|stadium=
Parramatta StadiumParramatta Stadium is a sports stadium situated in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia.The stadium is used primarily as the home ground of Australian National Rugby League club the Parramatta Eels...
, Sydney
|attendance=8,602
|referee=
Thierry AlibertThierry Alibert is a professional rugby league referee.M.Alibert is a full time professional referee, under jurisdiction from the Rugby Football League, and currently takes charge of Super League games, as well as selected Challenge Cup and international games...
(
FranceThe French Rugby League Federation is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in France. The Federation was formed during 1934 and since then has organized and governed the French rugby league championship, the Lord Derby Cup and all of the clubs that are contained within those...
) }}
7th Place Playoff
{{rugbyleaguebox
|date=8 November 2008
|team1={{rl-rt|TON}}
|score=48 – 0
|report=
Report
|team2={{rl|SCO}}
|points1=
|points2=
|stadium=
Browne ParkBrowne Park is a rectangular football stadium located in the Rockhampton suburb of Wandal, Queensland, Australia. The stadium has been the home of rugby league football in Central Queensland since the 1980s and today also hosts rugby union and soccer matches...
,
RockhamptonRockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
|attendance=5,930
|referee=
Shayne HayneShane Hayne, born Kevin John Hayne in Wellington, NSW in 1967, is an Australian rugby league referee in the National Rugby League . He has officiated in State of Origin since game II in 2007, the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and the 2009 NRL Grand Final....
(
AustraliaThe Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
) }}
9th Place Playoff
{{rugbyleaguebox
|date=9 November 2008
|team1={{rl-rt|SAM}}
|score=42 – 10
|report=
Report
|team2={{rl|FRA}}
|points1=
|points2=
|stadium=CUA Stadium,
PenrithPenrith is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Penrith is located west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Penrith...
|attendance=8,028
|referee=
Thierry AlibertThierry Alibert is a professional rugby league referee.M.Alibert is a full time professional referee, under jurisdiction from the Rugby Football League, and currently takes charge of Super League games, as well as selected Challenge Cup and international games...
(
FranceThe French Rugby League Federation is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in France. The Federation was formed during 1934 and since then has organized and governed the French rugby league championship, the Lord Derby Cup and all of the clubs that are contained within those...
) }}
Knockout stage
{{3RoundBracket-Byes
| RD1=Semi Final Qualifier
| RD2=Semi Final
| RD3=Final
| group1=
| group2=
| RD1-seed7=
| RD1-team7=
{{rl|FIJ}}
| RD1-score7=
30
| RD1-seed8=
| RD1-team8={{rl|Ireland}}
| RD1-score8=14
| RD2-seed1=
| RD2-team1=
{{rl|NZL}}
| RD2-score1=
32
| RD2-seed2=
| RD2-team2={{rl|ENG}}
| RD2-score2=22
| RD2-seed3=
| RD2-team3=
{{rl|AUS}}
| RD2-score3=
52
| RD2-seed4=
| RD2-team4={{rl|FIJ}}
| RD2-score4=0
| RD3-seed1=
| RD3-team1=
{{rl|NZL}}
| RD3-score1=
34
| RD3-seed2=
| RD3-team2={{rl|AUS}}
| RD3-score2=20
}}
Semi Final Qualifier
{{rugbyleaguebox
|date=10 November 2008
|team1={{rl-rt|Ireland}}
|score=14 – 30
|report=
Report
|team2={{rl|FIJ}}
|points1=
|points2=
|stadium=Skilled Park,
Gold CoastGold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
|attendance=8,224
|referee=
Ashley KleinAshley Klein is an Australian rugby league referee.Klein arrived in England as a youngster and refereed his first few games in the Rugby League Conference travelling up from London....
(
EnglandThe Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
) }}
Semi Finals
{{rugbyleaguebox
|date=15 November 2008
|team1={{rl-rt|ENG}}
|score=22 – 32
|report=
Report
|team2={{rl|NZL}}
|points1=
|points2=
|stadium=
Suncorp StadiumLang Park is the original name of the site located in the Brisbane suburb of Milton, Queensland, Australia, now occupied by the major sports facility known by its sponsorship name, Suncorp Stadium...
,
BrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
|attendance=26,659
|referee=
Shayne HayneShane Hayne, born Kevin John Hayne in Wellington, NSW in 1967, is an Australian rugby league referee in the National Rugby League . He has officiated in State of Origin since game II in 2007, the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and the 2009 NRL Grand Final....
(
AustraliaThe Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
) }}
----
{{rugbyleaguebox
|date=16 November 2008
|team1={{rl-rt|AUS}}
|score=52 – 0
|report=
Report
|team2={{rl|FIJ}}
|points1=
|points2=
|stadium=Sydney Football Stadium,
SydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
|attendance=15,855
|referee=
Ashley KleinAshley Klein is an Australian rugby league referee.Klein arrived in England as a youngster and refereed his first few games in the Rugby League Conference travelling up from London....
(
EnglandThe Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
) }}
Final
{{main|2008 Rugby League World Cup Final}}
The final of the 2008 World Cup between Australia and New Zealand was a re-play of the 2000 World Cup's final. The captains of both teams,
Nathan CaylessNathan Frederick Cayless is a retired New Zealand-Australian professional rugby league footballer, who was a long-time captain the Parramatta Eels of the National Rugby League. His position of choice was prop forward. He is also a former captain of the New Zealand national team, whom he led to...
and
Darren LockyerDarren Lockyer is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He was the captain of the Australian national team, the Queensland State of Origin team and his National Rugby League club, the Brisbane Broncos. His professional career spanned between 1995 and 2011...
, were the only players in this match who had also played in the 2000 final. Australia went into the match as favourites, having not only won every game of the tournament so far, but each with margins ranging from 24 to 52 points.
{{rugbyleaguebox
|bg=#eeeeee
|date=22 November 2008
|time=19:00
AESTAustralia uses Standard time, i.e: the same well defined time for a region. The proper names of Australia's time zones are Australian Western Standard Time , Australian Central Standard Time , and Australian Eastern Standard Time...
|team1={{rl-rt|AUS}}
|score=20 – 34
|report=
Report
|team2={{rl|NZL}}
|points1=
Tries: LockyerDarren Lockyer is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He was the captain of the Australian national team, the Queensland State of Origin team and his National Rugby League club, the Brisbane Broncos. His professional career spanned between 1995 and 2011...
(12', 35')
2WilliamsDavid Williams is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles of the National Rugby League. He plays on the wing and can also play in the centres...
(17')
1InglisGreg Inglis is an Australian professional rugby league player for the South Sydney Rabbitohs. A Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative outside back, Inglis joined the Rabbitohs in 2011 after much controversy.Inglis is a versatile back, having played in several...
(65')
1Goals: ThurstonJohnathan Dean Thurston is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league footballer in the NRL with the North Queensland Cowboys whom he co-captains...
(18', 36')
2/4
|points2=
Tries: 2 (49', 70' pen)
HohaiaLance Hohaia is a New Zealand rugby league player, he currently plays for St Helens RLFC. In 2008 Hohaia was a member of the World Cup winning New Zealand team.-Early years:...
1 (24') J Smith
1 (28')
RopatiJerome Ropati is a professional rugby league footballer for the New Zealand Warriors of the National Rugby League. Ropati was a member of the World Cup-winning New Zealand team in 2008...
1 (61')
MarshallBenji Marshall is a professional rugby league footballer with the Wests Tigers of the National Rugby League . A goal-kicking five-eighth, he is the current captain of the New Zealand national team, with whom he won the 2008 World Cup and 2010 Four Nations tournaments...
1 (76')
BlairAdam Blair is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer currently contracted to the Melbourne Storm of the National Rugby League until 1 November 2011, when he will join the Wests Tigers. A New Zealand international representative forward, Blair spent six seasons with the Storm, winning...
Goals:3/3 (25', 28', 50') Luke
2/3 (71', 77')
MarshallBenji Marshall is a professional rugby league footballer with the Wests Tigers of the National Rugby League . A goal-kicking five-eighth, he is the current captain of the New Zealand national team, with whom he won the 2008 World Cup and 2010 Four Nations tournaments...
|stadium=
Suncorp StadiumLang Park is the original name of the site located in the Brisbane suburb of Milton, Queensland, Australia, now occupied by the major sports facility known by its sponsorship name, Suncorp Stadium...
,
BrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
|attendance=50,599
|referee=
Ashley KleinAshley Klein is an Australian rugby league referee.Klein arrived in England as a youngster and refereed his first few games in the Rugby League Conference travelling up from London....
(
EnglandThe Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
)
|manofmatch=Darren Lockyer (Australia) }}
| Australia |
Position |
New Zealand |
Billy SlaterBilly Slater is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Melbourne Storm of the National Rugby League . An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative fullback, he has played his whole NRL career to date at Melbourne...
|
{{rlp|FB}} |
Lance HohaiaLance Hohaia is a New Zealand rugby league player, he currently plays for St Helens RLFC. In 2008 Hohaia was a member of the World Cup winning New Zealand team.-Early years:...
|
Joel MonaghanJoel Monaghan is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Warrington Wolves in Super League. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative three-quarter, he played for the Canberra Raiders and the Sydney Roosters...
|
{{rlp|WG}} |
Sam PerrettSam Perrett is a professional rugby league footballer for the Sydney Roosters of the National Rugby League. A representative for New Zealand at international level. A versatile back who is capable of playing on the wing, in the centres and at fullback...
|
| Greg Inglis Greg Inglis is an Australian professional rugby league player for the South Sydney Rabbitohs. A Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative outside back, Inglis joined the Rabbitohs in 2011 after much controversy.Inglis is a versatile back, having played in several...
|
{{rlp|CE}} |
Simon ManneringSimon Alexander Mannering is a New Zealand professional rugby league player who currently plays for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League competition...
|
Israel FolauIsrael Folau is a professional Australian rules footballer currently listed with the Greater Western Sydney Football Club in the Australian Football League . He previously played Rugby league for the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League from 2007 to 2008 where he broke the record for most...
|
{{rlp|CE}} |
Jerome RopatiJerome Ropati is a professional rugby league footballer for the New Zealand Warriors of the National Rugby League. Ropati was a member of the World Cup-winning New Zealand team in 2008...
|
David WilliamsDavid Williams is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles of the National Rugby League. He plays on the wing and can also play in the centres...
|
{{rlp|WG}} |
Manu Vatuvei Manu Vatuvei is a New Zealand rugby league player for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League competition. His position of choice is on the wing. He is the cousin of Japanese Rugby Union player Ruatangi Vatuvei. Vatuvei was a member of the New Zealand Kiwis squad that won the 2008...
|
Darren LockyerDarren Lockyer is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He was the captain of the Australian national team, the Queensland State of Origin team and his National Rugby League club, the Brisbane Broncos. His professional career spanned between 1995 and 2011...
(c) |
{{rlp|FE}} |
Benji MarshallBenji Marshall is a professional rugby league footballer with the Wests Tigers of the National Rugby League . A goal-kicking five-eighth, he is the current captain of the New Zealand national team, with whom he won the 2008 World Cup and 2010 Four Nations tournaments...
|
Johnathan ThurstonJohnathan Dean Thurston is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league footballer in the NRL with the North Queensland Cowboys whom he co-captains...
|
{{rlp|HB}} |
Nathan Fien |
Brent KiteBrent Kite is an Australian professional rugby league footballer currently playing in the NRL with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. A Tonga and Australia international, and New South Wales State of Origin representative front-row forward, he has played club football for the St. George Illawarra...
|
{{rlp|PR}} |
Nathan CaylessNathan Frederick Cayless is a retired New Zealand-Australian professional rugby league footballer, who was a long-time captain the Parramatta Eels of the National Rugby League. His position of choice was prop forward. He is also a former captain of the New Zealand national team, whom he led to...
(c) |
| Cameron Smith Cameron Smith is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently captains the Melbourne Storm of the National Rugby League...
|
{{rlp|HK}} |
Thomas Leuluai Thomas Leuluai is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Wigan Warriors in the Super League. His position is at half-back...
|
Petero CivonicevaPetero Civoniceva is an Australian professional rugby league footballer currently contracted to the Brisbane Broncos of the National Rugby League...
|
{{rlp|PR}} |
Adam BlairAdam Blair is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer currently contracted to the Melbourne Storm of the National Rugby League until 1 November 2011, when he will join the Wests Tigers. A New Zealand international representative forward, Blair spent six seasons with the Storm, winning...
|
Anthony LaffranchiAnthony Laffranchi is an Australian professional rugby league player for St Helens RLFC in the European Super League. He primarily plays in the second-row. He previously played for the Wests Tigers...
|
{{rlp|SR}} |
David Fa'alogoDavid Fa'alogo is a professional rugby league footballer with the Huddersfield Giants of Super League, formerly contracted with the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the National Rugby League...
|
Glenn StewartGlenn Stewart is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles of the National Rugby League . An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative second-row forward, Stewart has played all of his club football to date with Manly,...
|
{{rlp|SR}} |
Bronson HarrisonBronson Harrison is a professional rugby league footballer for the Canberra Raiders of the National Rugby League. He primarily plays at lock. He previously played for the Wests Tigers...
|
Paul GallenPaul Gallen is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks of the National Rugby League. Gallen's position of choice is lock and occasionally at Prop. He is an Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative...
|
{{rlp|LK}} |
Jeremy Smith |
Karmichael HuntKarmichael Neil Matthew Hunt is an Australian professional multi-code football player, currently playing Australian rules football for the newly formed Gold Coast Suns in the Australian Football League ....
|
Bench |
Issac LukeIssac Luke is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer for the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the National Rugby League. His position of choice is either hooker or in the halves. His first-grade debut was for the South Sydney Rabbitohs against the Melbourne Storm at Olympic Park in round 12...
|
Anthony TupouAnthony Tupou is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks of the National Rugby League...
|
Bench |
Greg EastwoodGreg Eastwood is a professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Canterbury Bulldogs in the NRL. A New Zealand international representative lock or second row forward, he previously for the Brisbane Broncos, Bulldogs in the NRL and Leeds Rhinos in the European Super League...
|
Craig FitzgibbonCraig "Fitzy" Fitzgibbon is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for Hull in the European Super League and previously the Sydney Roosters of the NRL. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australian international representative forward, he is the son of former rugby league player and...
|
Bench |
Sam RapiraSam Rapira is a New Zealand rugby league player who currently plays in the National Rugby League for the New Zealand Warriors. His usual position of choice is at prop-forward...
|
Anthony WatmoughAnthony Watmough is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club of the National Rugby League...
|
Bench |
Sika ManuSika Manu is a professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Melbourne Storm in the NRL. He was a member of the World Cup winning New Zealand team who beat Australia in the 2008 World Cup Final...
|
Ricky StuartRicky Stuart is an Australian rugby league football coach and former player of the 1980s and 90s. He is currently the head coach of the New South Wales State of Origin team, having replaced Craig Bellamy following a fifth consecutive failure in the 2010 series...
|
Coach |
Stephen KearneyStephen Peter Kearney, ONZM is a professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Parramatta Eels in the NRL as well as the New Zealand national team...
|
The match started after a confrontational New Zealand
hakaHaka is a traditional ancestral war cry, dance or challenge from the Māori people of New Zealand. It is a posture dance performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment...
, with Australia choosing to march forward to face the Kiwis rather than watching from the usual several metres away. New Zealand almost opened the scoring, Benji Marshall just knocking on in the in-goal area. Australia then struck with two quick tries to captain Darren Lockyer and David Williams, who was a mid-week replacement for the injured
Brent TateBrent Tate is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League...
. Australia almost scored a third time, however Lockyer was ruled to have knocked on over the goal line in similar circumstances to Marshall's attempt. Australia looked to have full control of the game before Jeremy Smith opened the scoring for New Zealand by busting over right under the goal posts. Four minutes later New Zealand were in again, via an Anthony Laffranchi strip which led to a Jerome Ropati try. With only five minutes before the break, Lockyer scored to put Australia in front 16-12 at half time.
After half time it was the Kiwis who scored first when fullback Lance Hohaia slipped past Lockyer and beat Slater to score. Billy Slater then made a costly error to gift New Zealand their fourth try in the 65th minute. Having fielded a kick, Slater ran close to the touchline and under pressure when about to be pushed out of play, threw the ball backwards over his head in a futile attempt to keep the ball in play. But the ball fell towards Marshall who ran to score an easy try. The Kangaroos closed the gap to 22-20 with a Greg Inglis try before a controversial penalty try put New Zealand comfortably clear. A Nathan Fien kick into the in goal was mishandled by Joel Monaghan who then pulled the collar of Lance Hohaia, unfairly denying him a chance to ground the ball. Adam Blair then scored for New Zealand to seal the win, and the World Cup, for New Zealand.
The game was the Australian team's first loss since
Great BritainThe Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
defeated them in November 2006 and their first loss to New Zealand since November 2005. It was also their first loss in a World Cup match since 1995 and in a final since 1972.
Criticism and controversy
Due to the generally poor response of the
2000 World CupThe 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
, there were several key criticisms of the tournament before any matches had kicked off. The RLIF were forced to defend the credibility of the tournament in October 2007 after New Zealand, one of the favourites for the competition, were heavily beaten in a Test match 58-0 in
WellingtonWellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
against Australia. Another concern was whether there would be enough competitiveness throughout the ten teams, with some fans worried about the possibility of too many one-sided matches, which was a common sight in the Group Stages of the 2000 tournament.
Ricky StuartRicky Stuart is an Australian rugby league football coach and former player of the 1980s and 90s. He is currently the head coach of the New South Wales State of Origin team, having replaced Craig Bellamy following a fifth consecutive failure in the 2010 series...
, coach of the Australian team, was reported to be so incensed by his team's defeat in the final that he verbally attacked
Geoff CarrGeoff Carr is the CEO of the Australian Rugby League as well as the New South Wales Rugby League. He is also a retired rugby league footballer, having played first grade in the NSWRL premiership with the St. George Dragons during the 1970s and reached the 1971 grand final with them.Carr was...
, the Chief Executive of Australian Rugby League, claiming that tournament organisers and match officials conspired to cause the Australian loss. The next morning he had a chance meeting with
Ashley KleinAshley Klein is an Australian rugby league referee.Klein arrived in England as a youngster and refereed his first few games in the Rugby League Conference travelling up from London....
, who refereed the final, and
Stuart CummingsStuart Cummings is the current Match Officials Director of the Rugby Football League.He qualified as a Rugby League referee in 1988 and was awarded senior referee status in 1991...
, the
Rugby Football LeagueThe Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
's director of match officials, at their hotel. He reportedly abused both officials in front of a number of witnesses, calling Klein a cheat, and behaved in an aggressive and physically intimidating manner. Stuart later apologised for his behaviour and resigned from his post.
Tickets
Tickets for Australian residents went on sale 7 November 2007 and internationally on 18 February. However tickets were not distributed until 3 March. Ticketek were announced as the official ticketing agency for the competition, selling tickets for all matches. Ticketmaster and Pilbeam Theatre were selling tickets to the Telstra Dome and Browne Park matches respectively.
The World Cup Final sold out months in advance.
Sponsorship
The Official Sponsors of the Rugby League World Cup 2008 were:
- Jetstar
Jetstar Airways is an Australian low-cost airline headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. It is a subsidiary of Qantas, created in response to the threat posed by low-cost airline Virgin Blue...
: Official Airline
- Foster's
Foster's Lager is an internationally distributed Australian brand of 5.0% abv pale lager, It is a product of Foster's Group brewed under licence in several countries, including the U.S. and Russia...
: Official Beer
- Bundaberg Rum
Bundaberg Rum is a dark rum produced in Bundaberg, Australia, often referred to as "Bundy".The Bundaberg Distilling Company owns its own cola-producing facility, which supplies the cola for its ready-to-drink Bundaberg Rum and Cola products.-History:...
: Official Spirit
- AAMI
The Promina Group was an Australian and New Zealand Insurance company formerly listed on the Australian and New Zealand stock exchanges. It is now fully owned by Suncorp-Metway Limited.-History:...
: Official referee sponsor
- Telstra
Telstra Corporation Limited is an Australian telecommunications and media company, building and operating telecommunications networks and marketing voice, mobile, internet access and pay television products and services....
: Official Telecommunications sponsor
- Gillette: Official Male products
- Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
: Official Accommodation Supplier
- Coca-Cola
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia...
: Official Soft drink
- Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman is a large Australian-based retailer of electrical, computer, furniture, entertainment and bedding goods. It is effectively a franchise and the main brand owned by Harvey Norman Holdings Limited...
: Official retailer
- Bic: Official stationery
"Heroes Here 08" campaign
The World Cup's "Heroes Here 08" promotional campaign was launched at the
Sydney Opera HouseThe Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
on 6 May 2008. At the launch, Paul Kind, the World Cup Director of Marketing, explained, "Heroes Here 08 underlines that fact that the international game, and particularly this tournament, will bring out the best in every player who takes part. It will create heroes."
Natalie BassingthwaighteNatalie Bassingthwaighte is an Australian actress, singer-songwriter and television personality. She began her career as an actress on the television series All Saints. She then starred in the American television movie Counterstrike...
recorded an "Australian version" of the
Mariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
song "
Hero"Hero" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on October 19, 1993 by Columbia Records as the second single from Carey's third studio album, Music Box . Originally intended for Gloria Estefan, the song was written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff...
" which accompanied the "Heroes 08" promotional video and other World Cup advertising. The World Cup Opening Ceremony featured a live performance of the song by Bassingthwaighte.
Filming of visuals for the promotional video began in Leeds during the worldwide ticketing launch for the event in November 2007.
Advertising agency MJW, celebrity photographer Garry Heery and production company Engine worked together to combine the latest digital animation with a dark and determined set that highlighted the passion players feel in representing their country on the international stage.
The Heroes campaign featured
Mark GasnierMark Gasnier is an Australian former rugby league player, a state and national representative centre three-quarter. He played eleven top-grade seasons with the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the NRL, interrupted by two seasons of rugby union played with the French club Stade Français. He was a...
(Australia),
Roy AsotasiRoy Asotasi is a professional rugby league footballer who currently captains the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the National Rugby League. A New Zealand international representative prop forward, he previously played for the Bulldogs, with whom he won the 2004 NRL Premiership...
(New Zealand),
Rob BurrowRob Burrow is an English professional rugby league footballer with the Leeds Rhinos of Super League. He has represented both England and Great Britain as a hooker/half. He has spent his whole career to date at Leeds, having won the Super League championship with them five times...
(England), Keith Peters (PNG), Waisale Suka (Fiji),
Nigel VaganaNigel Vagana is a retired professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. A New Zealand and Samoa international representative centre, he retired as the Kiwis' all-time top try-scorer with 19...
(Samoa),
Jerome GuissetJérôme Guisset is a formerFrench professional rugby league player. He recently played for Catalans Dragons as prop or second row, but he retired at the end of the 2010 season, and is now the assistant coach at the club....
(France),
Lee PatersonLee Paterson is an English born Scottish professional rugby league footballer who at representative level has played for Scotland, and at club level for Keighley Cougars, York City Knights, Batley Bulldogs, Carpentras XIII, Widnes Vikings, and Featherstone Rovers, playing at , , or .-International...
(Scotland),
Stuart LittlerStuart Littler is an English rugby league player.Littler played for the Salford City Reds in the European Super League but now plays for Leigh Centurions....
(Ireland) and
Lopini PaeaLopini Paea is an Australian rugby league player of Tongan descent who currently plays for the Catalans Dragons in the European Super League. He previously played for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League...
(Tonga). Gasnier was later removed from some of the promotional material after he left the sport mid-season and was replaced by
Darren LockyerDarren Lockyer is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He was the captain of the Australian national team, the Queensland State of Origin team and his National Rugby League club, the Brisbane Broncos. His professional career spanned between 1995 and 2011...
.
Television
The 2008 World Cup had 26 separate television deals taking coverage to 127 countries and generating more than $20 million income. A global television audience of 19.2 million made it the most widely broadcast event in the game's history.
Channel 9The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
broadcast all Group A matches and the Knockout Stage matches in Australia.
Fox SportsFox Sports is an Australia group of sports channels. They are owned by the Premier Media Group, which is in turn owned by News Corporation, and Consolidated Media Holdings. Its main competitors are ESPN, which has little local content and the free-to-air digital channel One HD...
broadcast all Group B and C matches plus Ranking Stage matches live. In the United Kingdom,
Sky SportsSky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
broadcast all matches live, meaning that all were shown in the morning and some as early as 06:00AM with highlights being shown on the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
Sky SportSky Network Television Limited , , is a New Zealand pay television service. On 30 June 2011, Sky had 829,421 subscribers, which comprises:*808,617 digital subscribers*20,840 other subscribers...
showed all games live across New Zealand.
Mai TV-History:The company was founded by Richard Broadbridge in 2006 and began broadcasts in June 2008. It is full privately owned and broadcasts to 80% of the Fiji group of islands.Mai TV's head office is at Garden City Suva....
broadcast all matches live in
Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
,
FijiFiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
,
SamoaSamoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
,
Cook IslandsThe Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
and the
Solomon IslandsSolomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. Orange Sport provided coverage of all matches live in France.
Coverage of the competition also extended to countries not taking part.
ShowtimeShowtime Arabia, as it was called to distinguish itself from its U.S. counterpart , was a subscription television service in the Middle East and North Africa. It was a joint venture between KIPCO and CBS Corporation , CBS Corp being a minor partner...
showed all matches live across the
Middle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. G offered coverage of all games in many countries in Africa.
AstroAstro is the brand name of the Malaysian direct broadcast satellite pay television service. It transmits digital satellite television and radio to households in Malaysia & Brunei...
showed all matches in
Malaysia, and ESPN 360 showed all matches in the United States. In Brazil, some matches were broadcast by
BandsportsBandSports is a Brazilian cable television network that has its programming based on all sports, launched in 2002 by Grupo Bandeirantes de Comunicação....
.
The only participating country with no television coverage of the matches was Tonga; the RLIF were hoping to secure a deal before the World Cup started, but this never happened.
BigPondTVBigPond is an Australian Internet service provider and is a product of Telstra. BigPond is Australia's largest ISP and based in Melbourne.- Internet :...
, an online television station, broadcast all matches live and also repeated matches. This service was available to everyone for free.
Radio
- UK - BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
and its sister station BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra broadcast selected games.
- UK - some non-rights holders used Australian freelance reporter Tim Stackpool to report on games for UK broadcasters. An extensive archive can be heard here: RLWC Archive
- AUS - ABC and 2GB Radio broadcast selected games.
- NZ - Radio Sport broadcast the Kiwi's games, including the Kiwi's victory in the final.
Sources
External links
{{Rlwc08}}
{{Rlwc}}