Rugby League Four Nations
Encyclopedia
The Rugby League Four Nations is an annual rugby league football tournament run in partnership between the Australian Rugby League
, Rugby Football League
and New Zealand Rugby League
representing the top three nations in the sport: Australia, England
and New Zealand
. A fourth partner, France
, accepted an invitation to play in the inaugural tournament. In the 2010 Tournament, Papua New Guinea was represented as they won the 2009 Pacific Cup
. In 2011 they will be replaced by the 2010 European Cup
winners, Wales. The tournament is sponsored by Gillette and therefore officially known as the Gillette Four Nations.
The tournament was first contested in 2009 and replaced the Tri-Nations
tournament that previously involved Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain
.
The Four Nations is an integrated part of the Rugby League International Federation
's 'International Calendar', with the fourth participant for 2010 and 2011 decided by the 2009 Pacific Cup
and 2010 European Cup
s respectively. There will be no tournament in 2012 to allow teams to prepare for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.
, Samoa
, Tonga
, Fiji
and the Cook Islands
. The winners, Papua New Guinea
, qualifed for the 2010 Four Nations. Likewise in 2010, the European Nations Cup decided the fourth participant in the 2011 tournament, Wales.
For and against then separates teams on equal points.
Grand Final and the Super League
Grand Final. The tournament ran for 4 weeks with a total of 7 matches, the final was played at Elland Road
, Leeds, United Kingdom on Saturday 14 November.
Australian Rugby League
The 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...
, Rugby Football League
Rugby Football League
The 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...
and New Zealand Rugby League
New Zealand Rugby League
The 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....
representing the top three nations in the sport: Australia, England
England national rugby league team
The 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 New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The 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...
. A fourth partner, France
Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII
The 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...
, accepted an invitation to play in the inaugural tournament. In the 2010 Tournament, Papua New Guinea was represented as they won the 2009 Pacific Cup
2009 Pacific Cup
-Semifinals:-Third place Playoff:-Final:-Telecast Details:The Pacific Cup will be shown in the UK, Australia, and throughout the Pacific.*In Australia all matches will be broadcast by NRL.com while the Nine Network will show a one hour highlight package each weekend.*In Britain matches will be...
. In 2011 they will be replaced by the 2010 European Cup
2010 European Cup
The 2010 European Cup, known as the Alitalia European Cup for sponsorship purposes, is a rugby league football tournament. Three of the competing teams participated in the 2009 European Cup, with France also being included in the tournament after competing in the 2009 Four Nations...
winners, Wales. The tournament is sponsored by Gillette and therefore officially known as the Gillette Four Nations.
The tournament was first contested in 2009 and replaced the Tri-Nations
Rugby League Tri-Nations
The Rugby League Tri-Nations was a rugby league tournament involving the top three nations in the sport: Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand...
tournament that previously involved Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The 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"....
.
The Four Nations is an integrated part of the Rugby League International Federation
Rugby League International Federation
The 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,...
's 'International Calendar', with the fourth participant for 2010 and 2011 decided by the 2009 Pacific Cup
2009 Pacific Cup
-Semifinals:-Third place Playoff:-Final:-Telecast Details:The Pacific Cup will be shown in the UK, Australia, and throughout the Pacific.*In Australia all matches will be broadcast by NRL.com while the Nine Network will show a one hour highlight package each weekend.*In Britain matches will be...
and 2010 European Cup
2010 European Cup
The 2010 European Cup, known as the Alitalia European Cup for sponsorship purposes, is a rugby league football tournament. Three of the competing teams participated in the 2009 European Cup, with France also being included in the tournament after competing in the 2009 Four Nations...
s respectively. There will be no tournament in 2012 to allow teams to prepare for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.
Qualification
In 2009 a qualifying tournament was held, the Pacific Cup, involving Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea national rugby league team
The 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...
, Samoa
Samoa national rugby league team
-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...
, Tonga
Tonga national rugby league team
The 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...
, Fiji
Fiji national rugby league team
-Competitions:Fiji have participated in:*Pacific Cup *World Cup *World Sevens *Superleague World Nines *Superleague Oceania Tournament *Pacific Rim Competition -Results:...
and the Cook Islands
Cook Islands national rugby league team
-2008 World Cup Qualifying:See 2008 Rugby League World Cup qualifyingThe Cook Islands played Fiji, Tonga and Samoa in the Pacific pool of Qualifying for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. Fiji and Tonga qualified, and Samoa earned a second chance in the repecharge round...
. The winners, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea national rugby league team
The 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...
, qualifed for the 2010 Four Nations. Likewise in 2010, the European Nations Cup decided the fourth participant in the 2011 tournament, Wales.
The competition
The tournament is organised in round-robin format. Each team play the others once, before the top two teams play each other in a tournament final. The top two teams are calculated using a league table. Teams receive:- 2 points for a win
- 1 point for a draw
- 0 points for a loss
For and against then separates teams on equal points.
History
The 2009 tournament began on Saturday 24 October, after the National Rugby LeagueNational Rugby League
The 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...
Grand Final and the Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
Grand Final. The tournament ran for 4 weeks with a total of 7 matches, the final was played at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
, Leeds, United Kingdom on Saturday 14 November.
Tri Nations (1999-2006)
| Year | Host nation(s) | Winner | Score | Runner-Up | Final venue | Final crowd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 1999 Rugby League Tri-Nations -Tournament standings:-Final:Teams:NEW ZEALAND: 1. Richie Barnett ; 2. Nigel Vagana , 3. Ruben Wiki , 5. Willie Talau , 5. Leslie Vainikolo ; 6. Henry Paul , 7. Robbie Paul ; 8. Joe Vagana , 9. Richard Swain , 10. Craig Smith , 11. Stephen Kearney , 12... |
22 – 20 | Ericsson Stadium Mt Smart Stadium Mt Smart Stadium, formerly Ericsson Stadium, is a stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the home ground of National Rugby League team, the New Zealand Warriors... , Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... |
21,204 | |||
| 2004 2004 Rugby League Tri-Nations -Tournament standings:-Final:-Non-series Tests:During the series, Australia and New Zealand played additional Tests against France.-----Additional Matches:... |
44 – 4 | Elland Road Elland Road Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C... , Leeds Leeds Leeds 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... |
39,200 | |||
| 2005 2005 Rugby League Tri-Nations New Zealand 38 defeated Australia 28 New Zealand 38 (C. Toopi 3, N. Cayless, N. Vangana, B. Webb tries; S. Jones 7 goals) defeated Australia 28 New Zealand 38 (C. Toopi 3, N. Cayless, N. Vangana, B. Webb tries; S. Jones 7 goals) defeated Australia 28 (B. Tate 2, M.Gasnier 2, M. King, A. Johns... |
24 – 0 | Elland Road Elland Road Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C... , Leeds Leeds Leeds 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... |
26,514 | |||
| 2006 2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations The 2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations was hosted for the second time by Australia and New Zealand. Sponsored by Gillette the tournament followed the same format as in 2004 and 2005, with each team meeting the other two teams twice, and the top two teams at the end of the group stages proceeding to the... |
16 – 12 Golden point Golden point The golden point, a sudden death overtime system, is used to resolve drawn rugby league football matches. The term is borrowed from soccer's now defunct golden goal.-Australasia:... |
Sydney Football Stadium, Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
27,325 |
Four Nations (2009-)
| Year | Host nation(s) | Fourth nation | Winner | Score | Runner-Up | Final venue | Final crowd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 46 – 16 | Elland Road Elland Road Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C... , Leeds Leeds Leeds 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... |
31,042 | ||||
| 2010 2010 Rugby League Four Nations The 2010 Rugby League Four Nations tournament was played in Australia and New Zealand in October and November 2010. The tournament was the second time the Four Nations had been held, following on from the 2009 edition held in England and France.... |
16 – 12 | Suncorp Stadium Suncorp Stadium Lang 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... , Brisbane Brisbane Brisbane 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... |
36,299 | ||||
| 2011 2011 Rugby League Four Nations The 2011 Rugby League Four Nations tournament was the third staging of the Rugby League Four Nations tournament and was played in England and Wales during October and November of 2011... |
30 – 8 | Elland Road Elland Road Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C... , Leeds |
34,174 | ||||
| 2014 | TBA |