Australia national rugby league team

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, seeAustralia women's national rugby league team.For theAustralian Football Leagueclub known as the Kangaroos, seeNorth Melbourne Football Club.

"Australian Kangaroos" redirects here. For the marsupial, seekangaroo.

TheAustralian national rugby league team,theKangaroos,have represented Australia in senior men'srugby leaguefootball competitions since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by theAustralian Rugby League Commission,the Kangaroos are ranked first in theIRL Men's World Rankings.The team is the most successful inRugby League World Cuphistory, having won the competition 12 times, and contested 15 of the 16 finals, only failing to reach the final in the1954 inaugural tournament.Only five nations (along withNZ Maori) have beaten Australia in test matches, and Australia has an overall win percentage of 69%.

Australia

Team information
Nickname	The Kangaroos
Governing body	Australian Rugby League Commission
Region	Asia-Pacific
Head coach	Mal Meninga
Captain	Isaah Yeo
Mostcaps	Darren Lockyer(59)
Top try-scorer	Darren Lockyer(35)
Top point-scorer	Johnathan Thurston(382)
IRL ranking	1st
Uniforms
First colours Second colours Third colours
Team results
First international
New Zealand11–10Australia (Agricultural Oval,Sydney,Australia; 9 May 1908)
Biggest win
Russia4–110Australia (The Boulevard,Kingston upon Hull,England; 4 November 2000)
Biggest defeat
New Zealand30–0Australia (Waikato Stadium,Hamilton, New Zealand;4 November 2023)
World Cup
Appearances	16 (first time in1954)
Best result	Champions(1957;1968;1970;1975;1977;1988;1992;1995;2000;2013;2017;2021)

Dating back to 1908, Australia is the fourth oldest national side afterEngland,New ZealandandWales.The team was first assembled in 1908 for atour of Great Britain.The majority of the Kangaroos' games since then have been played against Great Britain and New Zealand. In the first half of the 20th century, Australia's international competition came from alternating tours to Great Britain and New Zealand. Australia played host to these teams in non-tour years. Great Britain dominated in the early years, and Australia did not win a Test against the Lions until 11 November 1911 under captainChris McKivat.Australia did not win a series at home against Great Britain until 1920 or abroad until 1958.

Since 1908, the team has been nicknamedthe Kangaroos.Initially only used when touringGreat Britainand laterFrance,this has been the official nickname of the team since 7 July 1994. In1997Australia was also represented by aSuper League Australiateam, drawing on players from that year'sSuper Leaguecompetition.

History

See also:History of rugby league

Rugby footballhas been played in Australia since the 1860s. In 1863,Sydney Universitybecame the first rugby club to be formed in Sydney, and played games amongst themselves or against the crews of visiting British ships. The Sydney Football Club (1865) and theWallaroos(1870) followed, and inter-club competition commenced. By 1880, there were 100 clubs across the country, and rugby quickly became the dominant winter sport for Sydney.

In 1888, an English team visitedAustralasia,playing rugby rules in Queensland,New South Walesand New Zealand, andAustralian rules footballin Victoria and South Australia. In 1899, an Australian team was formed using players from Queensland and New South Wales for the first time. They played a series of Tests against a British team.

1900s

By 1907, Sydney club rugby games were attracting up to 20,000 people, with all profits going to theSouthern Rugby Football Union,as the sport was officially an amateur one. This caused discontent among players, and in 1908 theNew South Wales Rugby Football LeagueandQueensland Rugby Leaguewere formed.

An Australian national rugby league team was first formed during the first season ofrugby league in Australia,the1908 NSWRFL Premiershipseason. The team, which was made of players from the NSWRFL with a few Queensland rugby rebels added, first played against the"professional All Blacks"on the return leg of theirtour of Australia and Great Britain.

Later that year, the Australian team arranged to go on a tour of its own. Thefirst Kangaroosarrived in England on 27 September 1908, and played their first-ever test against theNorthern Unionin December in London. It finished at 22 in front of a crowd of 2,000. The second test in Newcastle in January 1909 attracted a crowd of 22,000, and the Northern Union won 15–5. The third test was played atVilla Park,Birmingham, the Northern Union winning again 6–5 before a crowd of 9,000. The Australians suggested that the series be named 'The Ashes' after the cricket series of the same name.

In 1909, when the new "Northern Union"code was still in its infancy in Australia, a match between the Kangaroos and theWallabieswas played before a crowd of around 20,000, with the Rugby League side winning 29–26.

1910s

The first British tour of theSouthern Hemispherebegan on 4 June 1910, when the Northern Union playedNew South Walesin front of 33,000 spectators in Sydney, losing 28–14. But they won the first test in Sydney against Australia 27–20 in front of 42,000. They then won the second test inBrisbane22–17. InAuckland,on 30 July, they defeated New Zealand 52–20. The1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealandwas the first-ever, and Australia were beaten by the Ashes in two tests, faring slightly better than "Australasia"with two Kiwis added to their squad. The1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britainwas undertaken by an 'Australasian' squad that included four New Zealanders. They won the Ashes for the first time, and for the next half century, no other touring team did do so on British soil.

The1914 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealandwas the second time the British toured down under. The Australians, captained by Sid Deane for all three tests,got one victory but lost the series in the famous decider, the "Rorke's Drift Test".Australia also went on a tour of New Zealand in 1919.

1920s

The1920 Great Britain Lions toursaw Australia win theAshesfor the first time on home soil. Crowds were massive, including nearly 70,000 at the first Tour match versus Sydney. The1921–22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britainalso included a New Zealander and was ostensibly anAustralasian side.In January 1922, an "England" side defeated Australia 6–0 atThe Willows,Salford,to win back the Ashes that had been lost in 1920. They did not lose again until 1950.

The Australian national team first wore green and gold in a hooped design on Saturday, 23 June 1928, when they met Great Britain in the first Test at theBrisbane Exhibition Ground.Britain led 10-2 after 25 minutes, 13-7 at half time, and, after a nervous second half, eventually claimed the Test 15–12. The England team won both the 1928 series in Australia and New Zealand by two tests to one. They were presented with the Ashes Trophy by the Australians, which the two countries have competed for ever since.

The1929–30 Kangaroo tour of Great Britainwas the fourth Kangaroo tour, and took the Australian team all around England and also into Wales. The tour also featured the ninthAshes serieswhich comprised four Test matches and was won by Great Britain.

1930s

The first test of the 1932 Ashes series between Australia and Great Britain drew a world record international rugby league attendance of 70,204 to theSydney Cricket Ground.This attendance stood as the world record until the 1992 World Cup final played atWembley Stadium,and as of 2013 remains the record attendance for a rugby league test played in Australia. TheJim Sullivanled Lions triumphed over theHerb Steinohrtled Australians 8–6.

On the 1933–34 tour New South Wales wingerDave Brownplayed in 32 matches, including all 3 Tests, scoring 285 points, at the time the greatest number ever attained by an Australian player on tour.

An exhibition match between Australia and Great Britain at Paris'Stade Pershingin December 1933 inspired the beginnings ofrugby league in France.

1940s

Albert Johnstonwas a national selector in 1946 and coach of the national side for the 1946 first post-WWII Anglo-Australian series. Australia's1948-49 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and Francewas their seventh tour to the UK. They played theAshes seriesagainst a side officially called Great Britain.

1950s

During the1951 French rugby league tour of Australia and New Zealand,Australia lost the three-Test series to the powerful French team inspired by their freakish goal kicking fullbackPuig Aubert.

The1954 Rugby League World Cupwas the first tournament held in either rugby code. Australia failed to reach the final.

For the1956–57 Kangaroo toura record eleven Queenslanders were selected in the touring squad. Great Britain defeated Australia 19–0 atStation Road,Swinton,to takethe Ashesseries 2–1.

Australia hosted and won the1957 World Cup.

For the1959–60 Kangaroo tourof Great Britain, the home nation retained the Ashes by winning the Test series 2–1 by the following results.

• First Test – Great Britain 14–22 Australia at Station Road, Swinton.
• Second Test – Great Britain 11–10 Australia atHeadingley,Leeds.
• Third Test – Great Britain 18–12 Australia atCentral Park,Wigan.

This was the last British Ashes win on home soil.

1960s

For the1960 World Cupno final was held. Still, the last game, which was between the previously undefeatedGreat Britainand Australia sides, made it the tournament decider. Great Britain won 10–3.

Harry Bathwas selected manager, coach and as the sole selector for the Australian national team's 1962 Ashes series.

After ten previous tours of Britain, the1963–64 Kangaroo toursaw Australia's first ever Ashes victory on British soil. TheArthur Summonscoached Kangaroos won the first test atWembley Stadiumbefore rampaging to a famous 50–12 win in the second test atStation RoadinSwinton.Although they lost the third test at Headingley, legendary wingerKen Irvinebecame the first Australian player to score a try in each test of an Ashes series. The Kangaroos have not lost a series in Britain since.

Harry Bath coached the national side to World Cup glory in the1968 World Cup.He also coached the team on a tour of New Zealand in 1969.

1970s

The last time that Great Britain won the Ashes was in 1970. They won the series 2–1 in Australia. Out of 24 games played Great Britain won 22, drew one and lost one – making them the most successful British tourists so far. The 1970 Lions contained a galaxy of stars including captainFrank Myler,Roger Millward,Cliff WatsonandMal Reilly.Future Kangaroo Tour captain and later coachBob Fultonmade his test debut in the 1970 Ashes series (Fulton had actually played 3 games for Australia in the 1968 World Cup but at the time tests and World Cup games were classed differently). Harry Bath again coached Australia to victory in the1970 World Cup finalin a brutal game that became known as the "Battle of Headingley". Bath also coached the team on a tour of New Zealand in 1971. On that tourGeoff Starlingbecame the youngest player to ever represent Australia. He was 18 years and 181 days old when playing a tour match against a New Zealand XIII atHuntly.

Australia lost the1972 World CupFinalto Great Britain in controversial circumstances. Australian captainGraeme Langlandswas denied what seemed a fair try by being ruled offside by the French referee after catching a kick put up by halfbackDennis Ward.Television footage of the try showed Langlands was approximately a metre behind Ward when he kicked the ball. The French referee Georges Jameau's alleged reason for not awarding the try was that he did not believe anyone could have scored it from an onside position. The World Cup final was tied at 10–10 after full-time and was still locked after extra time. Great Britain were awarded the victory due to a higher points table placing after the pool rounds of the competition. The Final was also highlighted by an 80-metre try to Lions captain, wingerClive Sullivan.

On the1978 Kangaroo tour,Great Britain defeated Australia in the second test at Bradford, 18–14, before a crowd of 26,447. It took ten years, and fifteen consecutive test defeats before Britain could defeat the Kangaroos again, starting with Australia's 3–0 whitewash of the Lions during their 1979 Australasian tour. The Kangaroos had already won the first test 15–9 atWiganand wrapped up the series with a 23–6 win in the third test atHeadingley.However, the Australians were defeated by the French team in both tests played at the end of the 1978 tour. This was the last defeat of the Kangaroos in a series until 2005.

1980s

The 1980s was the decade in which Australia began to truly dominate world rugby league. Along with the emergence ofState of Originfootball came a new crop of superstar players who led Australia throughout the 1980s. Players such asPeter Sterling,Mal Meninga,Wayne Pearce,Brett Kenny,Eric GrotheandWally Lewiscame to prominence on the1982 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France.Australia's performance was taken into a new dimension by the tourists, also known as 'the Invincibles', when they became the first team to win every game of the tour (fifteen games) including the first test by 40–4 at Hull in front of 26,771 spectators. After the extremely poor showing during their 1979 Australasian tour, the Kangaroos rammed home just how far behind British football had fallen atBoothferry Park.The score was only 10–4 at half time, but after the break Australia's superior fitness showed and ran in six unanswered tries to leave the crowd and British football stunned.

In 1983,Arthur Beetsonbecame the first Aboriginal to coach the Australian team afterFrank Stantonhad stood down following the Kangaroo Tour. Although Australia won the first test against New Zealand atCarlaw ParkinAuckland,the Kiwis shocked by winning the return match 19–12 atLang ParkinBrisbane.

When the Lions toured in 1984, The Kangaroos again swept The Ashes series 3–0 under new team captain Wally Lewis, the first Queenslander to captain Australia since Arthur Beetson in 1974. Beetson was replaced as coach in 1984 by a returning Frank Stanton.

In 1985, Australia made asix-match tourof New Zealand under the coaching ofTerry Fearnleywho before the tour had coached NSW to its first everOrigin serieswin over Qld (the tour actually took place between games 2 and 3 of the Origin series). The Kangaroos won five of those matches, and the Test series 2–1. Australia won the first Test in Brisbane 26–20. On Sunday 30 June 1985, Australia met New Zealand in the second Test atCarlaw Park,Auckland.The Test was a 20,000 sell-out, with all tickets accounted for weeks before the match. The Kiwis dominated long periods of the game but ninety seconds from time the Kiwis lost possession close to half way.John Ribotscored a try and Australia won 10–6. The tour ended in acrimony as tensions between coach Fearley and the Qld players, led by team captain Wally Lewis, reached boiling point with Lewis publicly stating that he had caught Fearnley and team vice-captain Wayne Pearce going over team selections in Fearnley's hotel room. However, both Fearnley and Pearce denied the allegations. After the second test win Fearnley made 4 changes to the test team for the third and final test at Carlaw Park with all four players were omitted being Queenslanders. The changes proved disastrous and NZ ran out easy 18–0 winners.

Following the tour, the Australian Rugby League decided that from then on the Kangaroos coach could not also double as the incumbent coach of either NSW or Qld.

Former KangarooDon Furnerbecame Australian coach in 1986 and immediately formed a good working relationship with Wally Lewis and the players. The now harmonious Australians swept New Zealand 3–0 in amid-season test seriesplayed in Australia.

During the1986 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and Francea then record northern hemisphere crowd of 50,383 attended the first test of the Ashes series atOld Traffordwith the Walle Lewis led Australians winning 38–16. On 16 December 1986 the Kangaroos set a new record for largest-ever winning margin in a Test match at 52–0 againstFrance.In their two Tests against France, the Australians ran in 96 pointsand conceded just a single penalty goal. After suffering such heavy losses, France decided to call off their proposed 1987 tour of Australia. This became the second consecutive tour of Europe in which Australia had won all their games. By the end of the tour,Terry Lambhad become the first player to appear in every match on a Kangaroo Tour. For this tour Wally Lewis,Greg Dowling,Bob Lindner,Gene Miles(Wynnum Manly) andBryan Neibling(Redcliffe) became the last players selected to tour from theBrisbane Rugby Leaguecompetition. By being named as tour captain, Wally Lewis became the first Queenslander to captain a Kangaroo Tour sinceTom Gormanin 1929/30.

Australia crashed to a defeat on Tuesday 21 July 1987, when the Kangaroo dominance of the international game suffered a setback. New Zealand were their opponents in a match atLang ParkinBrisbane,which had been arranged to fill the gap created by the non-appearance of France. New Zealand won the game 13–6. The next four internationals between Australia and New Zealand were all staged in New Zealand, and all were won by the Kangaroos.

During the1988 Great Britain Lions tourthe Ashes were successfully retained by Australia by winning the first two Tests, however Great Britain won the third test 26–12 at theSydney Football Stadium,ending a 15-game winning streak between the two teams that stretched back to the third Ashes test of 1978. Later that month, Australia's 62-point win overPapua New Guineain the NSW country town ofWagga Waggaset a new record for largest winning margin in international rugby league. Australian dual international wingerMichael O'Connoralso set a new record for most points scored by an individual in international rugby league (30 points – 4 tries, 7 goals).Also in 1988, as part of thebicentenary celebrations,Australia played a one-off test match against Rest Of The World at the Sydney Football Stadium, winning the one-off test 22–10. The1985–1988 Rugby League World Cupculminated in theWorld Cup finalagainst New Zealand at Auckland'sEden Parkground (the home of NZ rugby union). Australia won a brutal World Cup final 25–12 in front of 47,363. Captain Wally Lewis broke his arm during the game.

In 1989 the Kangaroostoured New Zealand,taking a record-breaking twelve Queenslanders in the 20 man squad after Queensland'ssecond straight3-0 State of Origin series win over New South Wales.Don Furner had retired from coaching after the 1988 World Cup final withManly-Warringah1987 Sydney Rugby Leaguepremiership winning coach and 1978 Kangaroo tour captainBob Fultontaking over from 1989. Fulton's first series in charge of the Australian team saw them sweep New Zealand 3–0 during their 1989 tour.

1990s

The Bob Fulton coached Kangaroos played two mid-season tests in 1990. They defeated France 34–2 on a cold night inParkeswithMal Meningataking over the captaincy from Wally Lewis who was unavailable with a broken arm.They then played a single test against New Zealand inWellington,winning 24–6.

With Wally Lewis controversially ruled unfit for the1990 Kangaroo tour,his Queensland teammate Mal Meninga, making his 3rd Kangaroo Tour, retained the Australian captaincy. The Ashes got off to a bad start for the Kangaroos when Great Britain shocked Australia to win the first test 19–12 atWembley Stadiumin front of a new record home crowd of 54,567. The second test at Old Trafford inManchesterwas a tight, thrilling affair that saw two of the most famous tries scored in test match football. Debutante 5/8Cliff Lyonssecond half try came after the Kangaroos kept the ball alive through 13 sets of hands before wingerAndrew Ettingshausenraced down the wing and centre kicked for Lyons to score. With the scores tied at 10-all going into injury time and the Kangaroos pinned just 15 metres from their line,Ricky Stuartset off on a 75-metre run before passing to Meninga winning try only seconds from full-time to give Australia a 14–10 win.The Kangaroos then wrapped up The Ashes with a comprehensive 14–0 win in the third test at Elland Road in Leeds. Meninga as captain became just the third Australian (afterKen Irvinein 1962 and 1963–64, andSam Backoin 1988) to score a try in each test of an Ashes series.

Australia faced New Zealand in a three-gamemid-season Test seriesin 1991. The first test, played at theOlympic Park StadiuminMelbourne(the first rugby league test played in Australia outside of NSW or Qld) saw the Kiwis again defeat Australia after a successful Kangaroo tour. NZ won the first test 24–8 in Melbourne in front of 26,900 fans, however a new look Australian side came back to win the second test 44–0 in Sydney and the third test 40–12 in Brisbane.At the end of the1991 NSWRL season,the Kangaroos embarked on their first (and as of 2017 only)tour ofPapua New Guinea,winning all five games on tour including easily both tests against the Papua New Guinea Kumuls.

During the1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australasia,the British lost the first test 22–6 in Sydney before stunning the Australians when they easily won the 2nd Ashes test 33–10 atPrinces Parkin Melbourne, but lost the 3rd test 16–10 in Brisbane. The1992 Rugby League World Cup finalat Wembley Stadium set a then international attendance record for a rugby league international of 73,631. The Bob Fulton coached, Mal Meninga captained Australians defeat Great Britain 10–6 to win their 7thRugby League World Cuptitle. The WCF was a tight game with the Lions leading 6–4 with less than 20 minutes remaining before an on debutSteve Renoufcrossed for the only try of the game and along with Meninga's sideline conversion gave the Kangaroos a famous victory.

Australia again played amid-season test seriesagainst New Zealand in 1993. The first test at theMt Smart Stadiumin Auckland ended in a 14-all draw thanks to a lateLaurie Daleyfield goal. Daley had captained Australia for the first time in the match following a two-game suspension to Mal Meninga. The Kangaroos then won the second test 16–8 at the very wetPalmerston North Showgroundsbefore wrapping up the series with a 16–4 win atLang Parkin Brisbane.

On 4 July 1994, Australia defeated France58–0at theParramatta Stadiumin Sydney, their only test on home soil for the year.The1994 Kangaroo Tourwas the last time the Australian national team played matches against British provincial teams, in addition to the Tests. Australia continued its dominance, winning both Test series against Great Britain and France, suffering only one loss (again, against Great Britain in the First Test at Wembley), and remained undefeated against British club outfits in a streak stretching back to 1978. Australia adopted the name 'Kangaroos' for the July test against France, since then the team has been officially known by this name. The 1994 Kangaroo tour was also the first (and only) time that the traditional Australian test kit was only worn during test matches. For the tour games, including the friendly against Wales inCardiff(the first time Australia had played Wales in 12 years), the Kangaroos wore jumpers that had increasing thickness gold hoops underneath the twin gold chevrons.

The Australian team that contested and won the1995 Rugby League World Cupconsisted only of players from clubs that remained loyal to the Australian Rugby League during theSuper League war.This meant several Super League-aligned clubs that were already well-established internationals were not selected for the World Cup squad. During 1995, the Kangaroos defeated New Zealand 3–0 in theTrans-Tasman Test seriesplayed in Australia. As they were for the World Cup, only ARL loyal players were selected for Australia which saw several players, includingSteve Menzies,Mark Coyne,Terry Hill,Gary Larson,Trevor GillmeisterandJason Smithmake their test debuts during the New Zealand series. Despite having what many described as a second string side without players such as Laurie Daley,Allan Langer,Andrew Ettingshausen,Brett Mullins,Glenn Lazarus,Bradley Clyde,Ian Roberts,Ricky StuartandSteve Walters,Bob Fulton's Kangaroos won their 8th World Cup (and 5th in a row) when they defeated England 16–8 in theWorld Cup finalin front of 66,540 fans at Wembley. The star of the day for Australia was halfback/hookerAndrew Johns.

In 1997 also, due to theSuper League war,Australian rugby league was split down the middle by two competitions: the ARL'sOptus Cupand Super League'sTelstra Cup.As a result, that season there were also two Australian sides:

Australian Rugby League

Australia vRest Of The World
(Only Establishment League Test)
11 July 1997
Suncorp Stadium,Brisbane

Fullback:Tim Brasher
Wingers:Mark Coyne,Robbie O'Davis
Centres:Paul McGregor,Terry Hill
Five-eighth:Brad Fittler(c)
Halfback:Geoff Toovey
Props:Paul Harragon,Mark Carroll
Hooker:Andrew Johns
Second-rowers:Steve Menzies,Gary Larson
Lock:Billy Moore
Reserves:Matt Sing,John Simon,Nik Kosef,Dean Pay
Coach:Bob Fulton

Super League

Australia vGreat Britain
(1st Super League Test)
1 November 1997
Wembley Stadium,London

Fullback:Darren Lockyer
Wingers:Brett Mullins,Wendell Sailor
Centres:Andrew Ettingshausen,Ryan Girdler
Five-eighth:Laurie Daley(c)
Halfback:Craig Gower
Props:Jason Stevens,Brad Thorn
Hooker:Steve Walters
Second-rowers:Matt Adamson,Gorden Tallis
Lock:Darren Smith
Reserves:Robbie Kearns,Craig Greenhill,Ken Nagas,Brett Kimmorley
Coach:John Lang

Great Britain played a homethree-Test seriesagainst the AustralianSuper LeagueTest team in 1997 and lost 2–1. The three matches played have been giventest statusby the UK'sRugby Football League.TheAustralian Rugby Leaguehas decided not to recognise the matches of its rival as tests since the Super League war ended and does not consider the series to be a genuine Ashes contest.Super League'sAnzac Testconcept, which is an early season one-off test match against New Zealand was retained and has been played annual ever since.

The 1998 Kangaroo Tour was cancelled because of the Super League war. With the Super League war finally over in 1998, Great Britain travelled to the Southern Hemisphere for the firstRugby League Tri-Nationstournament with Australia and New Zealand in 1999.

Chris Andersontook over fromWayne Bennettas coach of the team in March 1999.

2000s

The new millennium started with the2000 World Cupwhich Australia won.

In 2001 the Australians arrived in Britain for the first Ashes series since 1994. Great Britain surprised everyone by winning the first test, but lost the next two.

In July 2002, Australia handed Great Britain their worst ever test defeat by defeating them 64–10 in a Sydney test match.

In 2003 theNew Zealand Rugby Leaguecounted its 100th international match against Australia, because they takeWorld Cupmatches andSuper Leaguetests into account.

In November 2003, Great Britain lost an Ashes series 0–3 on home soil. The margin was extremely small in each game, 22–18 in game 1, 23–20 in game 2 and 18–12 in game 3 and it was known asBrett Kimmorley's greatest series as he orchestrated Australia's last minute victories. However, the dominance of the Australian team over the last generation has begun to slip since 2003.

In 2003 and 2005 New Zealand won the Bill Kelly Memorial Trophy from Australia. Australia won the first twoRugby League Tri-Nationscompetitions in 1999 and 2004, before being defeated by New Zealand in the final of the2005 competitionon 26 November 2005.Before that defeat Australia had not lost a Test series since December 1978, when they were defeated by France in both Test matches. On 4 November 2006, Australia lost toGreat Britain23–12[1].It was a huge upset, and the first time since 1988 that the Kangaroos had been beaten by Great Britain in Sydney. The match was Australia's 3rd match ofthe 2006 Tri-Nations series,having already secured a place in the final with two wins againstNew Zealandearlier in the tournament 30–18 and 20–15. The Australian side reclaimed the title of Tri-Nations champions on 25 November with a victory over the New Zealand side in the final by 16–12 with a try in the second period of extra time by captainDarren Lockyer.

In 2007 Australia played two test matches, both against New Zealand and both emphatic victories. The first 30–6 and the second 58–0.

The Australian Kangaroos line up to face the New Zealand haka at the 2008 Rugby League World Cup

Australia hosted the2008 World Cupand did not have to qualify. They did not lose a match until the final, which they lost to New Zealand 34–20, who became world champions for the first time. Following this loss,Ricky Stuartwas replaced as coach byTim Sheens,then the most experienced NRL coach.

Tim Sheens' first match as Australian coach was against New Zealand2009 Anzac Test.In this match Sheen's side included a record-equalling ten Queensland representatives, including an all maroon backline and front row,reflecting the state's dominance in the annualState of Origin series.All of the points were also scored by Queenslanders in the 38–10 victory. Later that year Australia traveled up to play in the inauguralFour Nationstournament. The Kangaroos advanced to the final after a draw against New Zealand, and wins over co-hosts England and France. Australia took on the English in the final and despite at one point trailing 14–16, a dominant last quarter of the game saw Australia win the inaugural Four Nations tournament. CaptainDarren Lockyeralso reached a milestone in this match after becoming the first Australian to make 50 appearances for his country.

2010s

Australia began 2010 with a 4-point win in theAnzac Testthat symbolised the opening of the new stadium in Melbourne: AAMI Park. After the 2010 domestic season the major international tournament was the2010 Four Nationsheld in Australia and New Zealand. In Australia's opening match against Papua New Guinea, captain Darren Lockyer surpassed Ken Irvine's record for most test tries for Australia, scoring his 34th. Australia won all of their matches comfortably to advance to the final to have a 2008 World Cup final re-match against New Zealand atSuncorp Stadium.The Kiwis won the game 16–12, and 2010 Four Nations title, after a try in the final seconds of the match.

Australia gained revenge over the Kiwis after anotherAnzac Testwin, retaining the Bill Kelly Memorial Trophy in the process with a 10-point win on the Gold Coast. Later in that year Australia played a test-match against New Zealand, 12 days before the2011 Four Nationskicked off, at the newly reconstructed Ausgrid Stadium in Newcastle. Australia thrashed the Kiwis by 36 points in front of a record crowd. Darren Lockyer became the most capped International player of all-time after surpassing New Zealand international Ruben Wiki's record of 55 appearances for his country. Australia took on New Zealand again in the opening game of the Four Nations, held in England and Wales. The Australians yet again beat their trans-tasman rivals. They then went on to beat England at Wembley and were surprised in their final round-robin fixture after Wales were leading 8–0 after 13 minutes and were behind Australia by only 10 points at the break. But Sheens' men thrashed the Welsh to easily advance to another final meeting with England. After being tied with the English at one point in the second half, Australia went on to win the game by 22 points.

In 2012, theAnzac Testwas held in New Zealand for the first time since 1998, which was the Kiwis last win in the fixture. Home advantage made no difference for the Kiwis as Sheens' Kangaroos won the match by eight points. The Kangaroos took on the Kiwis one more time later in the year, this time in Townsville. In front of a sold-out crowd, the Kangaroos won the test-match with another eight point victory. There was no tournament this year because there was a World Cup next year for the teams to prepare for.

Australia began the 2013 International season by retaining the Bill Kelly Memorial Trophy after anotherAnzac Testwin. At the end of the year, Australia traveled up to play in the2013 World Cupco-hosted by England and Wales. In their opening game against England, the Kangaroos faced a 0–10 scoreline after twenty minutes. But Australia went on to regain the control and go on to win the match by eight points. The England match was Australia's only 'scare' in the tournament as the Kangaroos went on to win and dominate all of their remaining matches, recording a 244–4 total aggregate score. They went on to earn revenge for their defeat to New Zealand five years ago in the World Cup final to beat them this time around at the same stage. The final was watched in front of a record International rugby league attendance of 74,468. In the match, five-eighth,Johnathan Thurstonbroke Mick Cronin's 31-year record of top point scorer after a conversion took him past the previous record of 309 points. This was the Kangaroos' tenth World Cup title.After the England game, Australia recorded five successive games without conceding a try in the tournament. This feat was one game off equaling the 1981–82 Australian team's record.

Australia could not equal that feat despite anotherAnzac Testwin in 2014. Later that year, Australia co-hosted the2014 Four Nationswith New Zealand. They took on the Kiwis in the second of the double-header clashes at Suncorp Stadium. However Australia's record against the Kiwis at the venue continued to be a negative one after another defeat made it three defeats in the past four meetings at the 'Cauldron'. This meant Australia were facing England in a must win game at AAMI Park in Melbourne. With many regulars missing, Sheens had to make decisions like naming an 18-year old in the team, who'd become the youngest player to play for Australia.Sione Mata'utia,aged 18 years and 129 days, eclipsed the previous record held by Israel Folau, since 2007, by 65 days when he played on debut for Australia against the 'Poms'. The match was headlined with controversy. In the last minute of the game, England put a grubber kick in the in-goal area, since they were desperate for a try as they were trailing by just four points. Australian fullbackGreg Inglishad to force the ball dead due to incoming England attack but the video referees wanted to have another look and see whether or not it was Inglis or the incoming English winger Ryan Hall got the last touch on the ball. On the slow-motion replays it showed that Ryan Hall's right hand's little finger had put some downward pressure on the ball however in normal speed it was deemed 'inconclusive' by Australian officiating rules and therefore a NO TRY was given to the frustration of the English players and supporters but respect from Sheens and his Australian players. Had the try been awarded and England converted, it would have been Australia's first defeat to England since 1995, the first time they suffered back-to-back home defeats since 1970 and the first time they failed to qualify for a tournament final since 1954.In their final round-robin fixture they dominated proceedings against the Samoans, who had been causing trouble for England and New Zealand in the tournament, to advance to the final which was held in New Zealand. However they could not get revenge for their defeat earlier in the tournament as Australia lost 18–22.

The2015 Anzac Testwas held in Suncorp Stadium. The Australian team's horrible record in Brisbane against the Kiwis continued as they suffered another defeat and records continued to be made for the New Zealand team. This was the first time they beat Australia for three consecutive test-matches since 1953 and the first time they won the Anzac Test since 1998. Australia did not play another test-match that year. After the match Sheens was facing scrutiny from the media after many believed it was time for the old players he fielded to move on since the much younger Kiwis side had beaten them on the past three occasions. Australia also dropped down to number 2 on theRLIF World Rankings,which added further scrutiny. At the end of the year, Sheens was unable to cope with the pressure of the media, despite wanting to coach the team at the 2017 World Cup. He took up an advisory role with English domestic club Salford Red Devils and therefore resigned as coach of the Australian national team.

In December 2015, successful Queensland Maroons coachMal Meningaannounced he'd leave his role as the coach of the Queensland representative side to coach the Australian national team. Before his appointment Mal announced his ambitions that he wanted the International game to become the pinnacle of rugby league like it was in his playing days.

Mal Meninga's first game in charge as Australian coach was the2016 Anzac Test.Before the test, Meninga stirred controversy around the rugby league world after selecting Fijian born playerSemi Radradra,who is eligible due to living in Australia for three years, in his team over other 'homegrown' Australian players. Radradra, who represented Fiji at the 2013 World Cup, still had a Fijian passport at that time and this brought up the question of changing eligibility rules in International rugby league. Meninga's selection questioned the ambition he raised of wanting to make the International game the pinnacle of the sport. Australia won the test-match 16–0 and in the process ended their losing-run against the Kiwis. They also held New Zealand scoreless in a test-match for the first time since 2007. But despite the result Australia suffered criticism with commentator Phil Gould saying the Australian team is 'too old' and are 'kidding themselves if they think they'll win the World Cup next year'. He believes Australia should've put much more points on a 'weakened' New Zealand team missing many regular players through various reasons. Meninga hit back saying 'That was a real test-match. That's what test footy is. People who have never played it don't know what it is.' At the conclusion of the 2016 domestic season, Australia took on New Zealand in Perth in what was the first evertest-matchin Western Australia. Meninga's men then began their2016 Four Nationscampaign with comfortable 42-point win over Scotland, in the first ever meeting between the two countries. After a tough encounter with New Zealand, and a convincing win over England, Australia met their Trans-Tasman rivals once again in the final. Meninga's Roos made the final tournament match look easy, as the Kangaroos dominated their opponents with a 26-point victory, claiming their third tournament title in the process.

In the last ever scheduledAnzac Test,captainCameron Smithbecame just the second player to play 50 tests for Australia, behind former captain, and record cap holder,Darren Lockyer.He became the first Australian to wear the gold chevron on his shoulder after a new initiative created by Meninga last year. Other players are also honoured, with players that have earned 20+ caps wearing a white chevron, 30+ wearing a bronze chevron, and 40+ wearing a silver chevron on their shoulder. If a player beats Lockyer's record for the most appearances, they will wear a 'special purple' commemorative jersey.Australia won the final Anzac test-match by a convincing scoreline of 30–12. Later in the year, countries were preparing for the grandest stage in the international game, theWorld Cup.However, the biggest talking point wasn't about whether Australia would defend their title. It was around Tonga, after many players of Tongan heritage, had quit the opportunity to represent the New Zealand squad in order to play for Tonga. Regular Australian prop forward,Andrew Fifita,also followed suit, after initially being announced in Meninga's squad, to the disapproval of Australian halfbackCooper Cronk.Meninga, however, also voiced his opinion saying he had no issue with Fifita's decision, as it was great for Tonga, and the international game. After conceding early, Australia went on to grit out a tough victory over England. The Kangaroos then went on to beat a spirited French team, in a game which sawWade Grahambecame the seventh player to equal the record of four tries in a World Cup game, and only the second Australian forward to score four tries in a single game, since Gorden Tallis in 2000.Australia finished off their pool stage games, with a comprehensive victory over a gallant Lebanese outfit. Australia then advanced past Samoa to the semi-finals with ease, thanks to a record-breaking five tries in a single World Cup match fromValentine Holmes.Holmes then remarkably beat his own record a week later, in the semi-finals against Fiji. With the six tries, he surpassed former Kangaroo, Wendell Sailor's, record for most tries in a single World Cup tournament, held since 2000.In thefinal,Australia took on England for the first time in 22 years, after facing New Zealand for three consecutive editions. The Kangaroos went on to retain the World Cup atLang ParkinBrisbane,the venue, at which they lost the World Cup final, when the tournament was last held in Australia. Australia also became the first team to win 11 World Cup crowns. The final score of 6–0, made this the lowest scoring World Cup final in the history of the tournament. This was also the first time that a country had won the competition on home soil in 40 years.

On 20 October 2018, for the first time in history, Australia played a Test match againstTonga.In front of a sold-out crowd at Mt. Smart Stadium inAuckland,the Kangaroos withstood a spirited challenge from the Mate Ma'a to win 34–16.

On 2 November 2019 in front of 25,257, Tonga beat Australia for the first time in their history, which marked the first time Australia had lost to a Tier 2 side since the system came in and the first time they'd lost to a team which wasn't New Zealand, Great Britain or England since 1978.

2020s

Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic,the2021 Rugby League World Cupwas delayed until the end of 2022.Throughout 2022, severalNRLplayers with international heritage opting to play for their home nation during the World Cup, includingJarome Luai,Brian To'oandJoseph Sua’ali’iforSamoa,Felise KafusiforTonga,andViliame Kikau,Apisai Koroisau,andMaika SivoforFiji.Mal Meninganamed his 24-man squad on 5 October, withJames Tedesconamed as captain after previously playing forItalyin the2017 World Cup.

The campaign kicked off against Fiji atEmerald Headingley Stadium,winning 42–8, with debutantsJeremiah Nanai,Angus Crichton,andHarry Grantcrossing for tries,Josh Addo-Carrgetting a double, andCameron Munsterwinningman of the match.The Kangaroos then crushed a haplessScotlandside 84–0 atCoventry Building Society Arena,with Addo-Carr scoring four tries, including a last-minute try off a no-look between the legs flick from Addo-Carr'sBulldogsteammateMatt Burton.Burton,Nathan Cleary,Isaah YeoandCampbell Grahamall scored tries on debut, with Addo-Carr also receiving man of the match.Meninga named his squad for Australia on 27 October, pairing together Cleary andDaly-Cherry Evansin the halves.The two had been in contention to be Meninga's first-choice halfback.Australia then went on to beatItaly66–6 atTotally Wicked Stadium,with Tedesco scoring a try against his former team and Campbell Graham scoring a double.Australia won their 12th World Cup title, defeating Samoa 30–10 in the final.

Coaches

See also:List of Australia national rugby league team coaches

The current coach of the Australian team is former team captain and ImmortalMal Meninga,who was appointed coach in late 2015 after the resignation ofTim Sheenswho coached the team from 2009 to 2015.

Bob Fultonhas coached the most matches with 40 starting in 1989 and finishing in 1998.Jack Gibson,despite never having coached at international level, was named coach of theAustralian rugby league team of the century(1908–2008).

• Albert Johnston1946
• Col Maxwell1948–1949
• Len Smith1949
• Keith Froome1949
• Vic Hey1950–1951, 1954–1955
• Clive Churchill1952–1953, 1959–60, 1963
• Ken Kearney1956–1957
• Herbert Poole1957
• Norm Robinson1958
• Keith Barnes1960
• Brian Carlson1961
• Harry Bath1962, 1968–1972
• Arthur Summons1963–1964, 1970
• Reg Gasnier1964, 1967–1968
• Ian Walsh1965–1966
• Graeme Langlands1973–1975
• Terry Fearnley1977, 1985
• Frank Stanton1978–1982, 1984
• Arthur Beetson1983
• Don Furner1986–1988
• Bob Fulton1989–1998
• John Lang1997 (Super League)
• Wayne Bennett1998, 2004–2005
• Chris Anderson1999–2003
• Ricky Stuart2006–2008
• Tim Sheens2009–2015
• Mal Meninga2016–

Players

Main article:List of Australia national rugby league team players

Current squad

The Australian Kangaroos squad for the2024 Pacific Championships.The squad was announced on 7 October 2024.
Statistics in this table are compiled from the website,Rugby League Projectand are up to 11 November 2024, including the Week 4 cup final match against Tonga.
Jersey numbers are those used in the Week 4 Match.

J#	Player	Age	Position(s)	Kangaroos						Club	NRL		Other Reps
				Dbt	M	T	G	F	P		CM	TM
1	Dylan Edwards	28	Fullback	2023	6	1	0	0	4	Penrith Panthers	151	151	2
2	Xavier Coates	23	Wing	2024	3	1	0	0	4	Melbourne Storm	54	86	110
3	Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow	23	Centre	2023	6	4	0	0	16	Dolphins (NRL)	36	86	1721
4	Tom Trbojevic	28	Centre,Fullback	2017	7	6	0	0	24	Manly Warringah Sea Eagles	152	152	10
5	Zac Lomax	25	Wing,Centre	2024	3	2	8	0	24	St. George Illawarra Dragons	114	114	32
6	Tom Dearden	23	Five-eighth	2024	3	1	0	0	4	North Queensland Cowboys	82	104	41
7	Mitchell Moses	30	Halfback	2024	3	1	0	0	4	Parramatta Eels	158	225	8512
8	Patrick Carrigan	26	Prop,Lock	2022	11	0	0	0	0	Brisbane Broncos	105	105	9
9	Harry Grant	26	Hooker	2022	11	1	0	0	4	Melbourne Storm	86	101	11
10	Lindsay Collins	28	Prop	2022	9	4	0	0	16	Sydney Roosters	113	113	12
11	Angus Crichton	28	Second-row	2022	8	2	0	0	8	Sydney Roosters	122	177	141
12	Hudson Young	26	Second-row	2024	3	0	0	0	0	Penrith Panthers	0	119	31
13	Isaah Yeo	29	Lock	2022	11	2	0	0	8	Penrith Panthers	245	245	141
14	Matt Burton	24	Five-eighth,Centre	2022	5	1	0	0	4	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	70	102	21
15	Mitchell Barnett	30	Second-row,Lock	2024	3	0	0	0	0	New Zealand Warriors	38	166	1
16	Reuben Cotter	25	Second-row,Prop	2022	8	0	0	0	0	North Queensland Cowboys	82	82	721
17	Lindsay Smith	24	Prop	2024	1	0	0	0	0	Penrith Panthers	54	54
18	Ben Hunt	34	Hooker,Halfback	2014	15	4	0	0	16	St. George Illawarra Dragons	147	334	204
19	Bradman Best	23	Centre	—	0	0	0	0	0	Newcastle Knights	87	87	2
20	Reece Robson	26	Hooker	—	0	0	0	0	0	North Queensland Cowboys	110	119	51
IJ	Cameron Murray	26	Second-row,Lock	2019	10	7	0	0	28	South Sydney Rabbitohs	161	161	151

Notes:

• On 10 October 2024, the NRL announced thatHudson Younghad replaced an injuredLiam Martin.
• Three members of the squad have previously played for other nations:
  • Lebanon:Mitchell Moses(2017 and 2022).
  • Papua New Guinea:Xavier Coates(2019)
  • Samoa:Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow(2022).
• Eight of the 21 squad members have played for Queensland, twelve for New South Wales. The one player yet to playOrigin,Lindsay Smithqualifies for New South Wales.
• Three squad members have played in anAll Stars match,and eleven members have played for thePrime Minister's XIII.

Records

Main article:List of Australia national rugby league team records

• Bold- denotes that the player is still active.

Most capped players

#	Name	Career	Caps
1	Darren Lockyer	1998–2011	59
2	Cameron Smith	2006–2017	56
3	Mal Meninga	1982–1994	46
4	Graeme Langlands	1963–1975	45
	Petero Civoniceva	2001–2011	45
6	Brad Fittler	1991–1995, 1998–2001	40
7	Reg Gasnier	1959–1967	39
	Johnny Raper	1959–1968	39
	Greg Inglis	2006–2016	39
10	Johnathan Thurston	2006–2009, 2011–2017	38
	Cooper Cronk	2007, 2009–2017	38

Top try scorers

#	Name	Career	Tries
1	Darren Lockyer	1998–2011	35
2	Ken Irvine	1959–1967	33
3	Greg Inglis	2006–2016	31
4	Reg Gasnier	1959–1967	28
5	Billy Slater	2008–2014, 2017	27
6	Bob Fulton	1968–1975, 1978	25
7	Brett Morris	2009–2014	23
8	Mal Meninga	1982–1994	21
9	Graeme Langlands	1963–1975	20
	Valentine Holmes	2016-2023	20

Top points scorers

#	Name	Career	Points	Tries	Goals	Field Goals
1	Johnathan Thurston	2006–2017	382	13	165	0
2	Mick Cronin	1973–1982	308	10	139	0
3	Mal Meninga	1982–1994	278	21	99	0
4	Andrew Johns	1995, 1998–2006	226	12	89	0
5	Graeme Langlands	1963–1975	206	20	73	0
6	Darren Lockyer	1998–2011	204	35	31	2
7	Michael O'Connor	1986–1990	198	17	65	0
8	Cameron Smith	2006–2017	170	9	67	0
9	Mat Rogers	1998–2000	168	9	66	0

Team records

• Biggest win:

110–4v.Russia(atThe Boulevard,4 November 2000)

• Biggest loss:

30–0v.New Zealand(atFMG Stadium Waikato,4 November 2023)

• Highest all–time attendance:

74,468v.New Zealand(atOld Trafford,30 November 2013)

Individual

• Most tries in a match:

• 6:

Valentine Holmesv.Fiji(24 November 2017)

• Most points in a match:

• 46:

Ryan Girdlerv.Russia(atThe Boulevard,4 November 2000)

• Youngest player:

• 18 years 129 days:

Sione Mata'utiav.England(2 November 2014)

Team of the Century (1908–2008)

Main article:Australian rugby league team of the century

As Australian rugby league celebrated its first centenary in 2008, an Australian team of the century was named which comprises one player for each of the thirteen positions plus four interchange players:Winger Brian Bevan is the only player in the team who never represented Australia in a test match, while coach Jack Gibson never coached the Australian test team.

No. Position Player 1Clive Churchill–FB 2Brian Bevan–WG 3Reg Gasnier–CE 4Mal Meninga–CE 5Ken Irvine–WG 6Wally Lewis–FE 7Andrew Johns–HB 8Arthur Beetson–PR 9Noel Kelly–HK

No. Position Player 10Duncan Hall–PR 11Norm Provan–SR 12Ron Coote–SR 13Johnny Raper–LK 14Graeme Langlands–positions 15Dally Messenger–positions 16Bob Fulton–positions 17Frank Burge–positions COJack Gibson–positions

Captains

• Arthur Hennessy(1908)
• Denis Lutge(1908)
• Alex Burdon(1909)
• Dally Messenger(1908–1910)
• Larry O'Malley(1909)
• Robert Graves(1909)
• Bill Heidke(1910)
• Chris McKivat(1910–1912)
• Sid Deane(1914)
• Arthur Halloway(1919)
• Albert "Rick" Johnston(1919–1920)
• Herb Gilbert(1920)
• Charles "Chook" Fraser(1921–1922)
• Jim Craig(1924)
• Tom Gorman(1928–1930)
• Herb Steinohrt(1932)
• Frank McMillan(1933)
• Peter "Mick" Madsen(1933)
• Dave Brown(1935–1936)
• Wally Prigg(1937–1938)
• Joe Jorgenson(1946)
• Ron Bailey(1946)
• Len Smith(1948)
• Col Maxwell(1948)
• Wally O'Connell(1948)
• Bill Tyquin(1949)
• Keith Froome(1949)
• Clive Churchill(1950–1954)
• Ken Kearney(1956–1957)
• Dick Poole(1957)
• Brian Davies(1958)
• Brian Carlson(1959–1961)
• Keith Barnes(1959–1962)
• Barry Muir(1960–1961)
• Reg Gasnier(1962–1967)
• Arthur Summons(1962–1964)
• Billy Wilson(1963)
• Ian Walsh(1963–1966)
• Peter Gallagher(1967)
• Johnny Raper(1967–1968)
• John Sattler(1969–1970)
• Graeme Langlands(1970–1975)
• Phil Hawthorne(1970)
• Ron Coote(1970)
• Billy Smith(1970)
• Bob McCarthy(1973)
• Tommy Raudonikis(1973)
• Arthur Beetson(1973–1977)
• John Brass(1975)
• Greg Veivers(1977)
• Greg Pierce(1978)
• Bob Fulton(1978)
• George Peponis(1979–1980)
• Steve Rogers(1981)
• Max Krilich(1982–1983)
• Wally Lewis(1984–1989)
• Mal Meninga(1990–1994)
• Laurie Daley(1993–1998)
• Brad Fittler(1995–2001)
• Paul Harragon(1995)
• Geoff Toovey(1996)
• Allan Langer(1998)
• Gorden Tallis(2000–2002)
• Andrew Johns(2002–2003)
• Darren Lockyer(2003–2011)
• Danny Buderus(2004–2005)
• Craig Gower(2005–2007)
• Cameron Smith(2007–2017)
• Boyd Cordner(2018–2019)
• James Tedesco(2022-2024)
• Isaah Yeo(2024-)

note* during 2020-2021 there were no international games

Competitive records

Main article:List of Australia national rugby league team results

Overall record

Below is the table of the official representative rugby league matches played by Australia at test level up until 10 November 2024:

Opponent	Played	Won	Lost	Drawn	Last Meeting	Win%	For	Aga	Diff
England	25	16	7	2	2017	64%	558	281	+277
Fiji	8	8	0	0	2022	100.00%	462	38	+424
France	61	45	14	2	2017	73.77%	1476	547	+929
Great Britain*	139	73	61	5	2006	52.52%	2,352	1,745	+607
Ireland	1	1	0	0	2013	100.00%	50	0	+50
Italy	3	3	0	0	2022	100.00%	170	43	+127
Lebanon	2	2	0	0	2022	100.00%	82	4	+78
New Zealand*	146	108	35	3	2024	73.97%	3,321	1,944	+1,377
Māori	9	6	2	1	1980	66.67%	166	107	+59
Papua New Guinea	11	11	0	0	2010	100.00%	580	68	+512
Rest Of The World	3	3	0	0	1997	100.00%	70	29	+41
Russia	1	1	0	0	2000	100.00%	110	4	+106
Samoa	5	5	0	0	2023	100.00%	224	50	+174
Scotland	2	2	0	0	2022	100.00%	138	12	+126
South Africa	3	3	0	0	1995	100.00%	174	33	+141
Tonga†	4	3	1	0	2024	75%	84	46	+38
United States	2	2	0	0	2013	100.00%	98	24	+74
Wales	13	13	0	0	2011	100.00%	455	143	+312
Total	438	305	120	13	2024	69.63%	10,570	5,118	+5,452
*Includes five matches in 1997 as Australia (SL).
†Includes matches played against Tonga Invitational XIII.

World Cup

Further information:Australia at the Rugby League World Cup

A red box around the year indicates tournaments played within Australia

World Cup Record
Host/s	Year/s	Round	Position	Pld	Win	Draw	Loss
France	1954	Group	3rd out of 4	3	1	0	2
Australia	1957	Winners	1st out of 4	3	3	0	0
England	1960	Group	2nd out of 4	3	2	0	1
AustraliaNew Zealand	1968	Winners	1st out of 4	4	4	0	0
England	1970	Winners	1st out of 4	4	2	0	2
France	1972	Final	2nd out of 4	4	2	0	2
Worldwide	1975	Winners	1st out of 5	9	7	1	1
AustraliaNew Zealand	1977	Winners	1st out of 4	4	4	0	4
Worldwide	1985–88	Winners	1st out of 5	8	6	0	2
Worldwide	1989–92	Winners	1st out of 5	9	9	0	0
England	1995	Winners	1st out of 10	5	4	0	1
EnglandFranceIrelandScotlandWales	2000	Winners	1st out of 16	6	6	0	0
Australia	2008	Final	2nd out of 10	5	4	0	1
EnglandWales	2013	Winners	1st out of 14	6	6	0	0
AustraliaNew ZealandPapua New Guinea	2017	Winners	1st out of 14	6	6	0	0
England	2021	Winners	1st out of 16	6	6	0	0
	2026	Qualified

World Cup 9's

World Cup 9's Record
Host/s	Year	Round	Position	Pld	Win	Draw	Loss
Australia	2019	Winners	1st out of 12	5	5	0	0

Tri/Four Nations

Tri/ Four Nations Record
Host/s	Year	Round	Position	Pld	Win	Draw	Loss
AustraliaNew Zealand	1999	Winners	1st out of 3	3	2	0	1
England	2004	Winners	1st out of 3	5	3	1	1
England	2005	Runners up	2nd out of 3	5	4	0	1
AustraliaNew Zealand	2006	Winners	1st out of 3	5	4	0	1
EnglandFrance	2009	Winners	1st out of 4	4	3	1	0
AustraliaNew Zealand	2010	Final	2nd out of 4	4	3	0	1
EnglandWales	2011	Winners	1st out of 4	4	4	0	0
AustraliaNew Zealand	2014	Final	2nd out of 4	4	2	0	2
England	2016	Winners	1st out of 4	4	4	0	0

Rugby League Pacific Championship

Rugby League Pacific Championship record
Year	Round	Position	GP	W	L	D
2019	Champions	1/3	2	1	1	0
2023	Second place	2/3	3	2	1	0
2024	Champions	1/3	3	3	0	0
Total	2 Titles	2/3	8	6	2	0

Kangaroo Tour Test matches

Further information:Kangaroo Tour

Year	To	Result	Score
1908–09	Great Britain	Loss	0–2
1911–12	Great Britain Wales	Won Won	2–0 1–0
1919	New Zealand	Won	3–1
1921–22	Great Britain Wales	Loss Won	1–3 1–0
1929–30	Great Britain Wales	Loss Won	1–2 1–0
1933–34	Great Britain Wales	Loss Won	0–3 1–0
1935	New Zealand	Won	2–1
1937–38	Great Britain France	Loss Won	1–2 2–0
1948–49	Great Britain Wales France	Loss Won Won	0–3 1–0 2–0
1949	New Zealand	Draw	1–1
1952–53	Great Britain France	Loss Loss	1–2 1–2
1953	New Zealand	Loss	1–2
1956–57	Great Britain France	Loss Won	1–2 3–0
1959–60	Great Britain France Italy	Loss Won Won	1–2 3–0 2–0
1961	New Zealand	Draw	1–1
1963–64	Great Britain France	Won Won	2–1 2–1
1965	New Zealand	Draw	1–1
1967–68	Great Britain France	Won Loss	2–1 0–2
1969	New Zealand	Draw	1–1
1971	New Zealand	Loss	0–1
1973	Great Britain France	Won Won	2–1 2–0
1978	Great Britain Wales France	Won Won Loss	2–1 1–0 0–2
1980	New Zealand	Won	2–0
1982	Great Britain Wales France	Won Won Won	3–0 1–0 2–0
1985	New Zealand	Won	2–1
1986	Great Britain France	Won Won	3–0 2–0
1989	New Zealand	Won	3–0
1990	Great Britain France	Won Won	2–1 2–0
1991	Papua New Guinea	Won	2–0
1993	New Zealand	Won	2–0
1994	Great Britain Wales France	Won Won Won	2–1 1–0 1–0
2001	Great Britain	Won	2–1
2003	Great Britain	Won	3–0

Honours

• World Cup:1957, 1968, 1970, 1975, 1977, 1988, 1992, 1995, 2000, 2013, 2017, 2021
• Tri-Nations/Four Nations:1999, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2016
• Pacific Championship:2019, 2024
• Anzac Test:1997, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019
• The Ashes:1911, 1920, 1950, 1954, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 2001, 2003

IRL Rankings

IRL Men's World Rankings
Official rankings as of 30 June 2024
Rank	Change	Team	Pts %
1		Australia	100
2		New Zealand	82
3		England	80
4		Samoa	67
5		Tonga	49
6	1	Fiji	47
7	1	Papua New Guinea	46
8		France	28
9		Lebanon	22
10		Cook Islands	20
11		Serbia	19
12		Netherlands	17
13		Italy	15
14	1	Greece	15
15	1	Malta	14
16		Ireland	14
17		Wales	13
18		Jamaica	10
19		Scotland	9
20		Ukraine	7
21		Czech Republic	7
22		Germany	6
23	3	Chile	6
24		Poland	6
25	3	Norway	6
26	1	Kenya	5
27	4	Philippines	5
28	3	South Africa	4
29		Nigeria	4
30		Ghana	4
31	2	United States	4
32	4	Montenegro	4
33	2	Brazil	3
34	2	Turkey	3
35	7	North Macedonia	3
36	2	Bulgaria	3
37	2	Cameroon	2
38	1	Spain	2
39	1	Japan	1
40	1	Albania	1
41	5	Canada	1
42	2	Colombia	1
43	2	El Salvador	1
44	1	Morocco	1
45		Russia	0
46	2	Sweden	0
47	2	Bosnia and Herzegovina	0
48	2	Hungary	0
49	3	Argentina	0
50		Hong Kong	0
51	3	Solomon Islands	0
52	5	Niue	0
53	1	Latvia	0
54	1	Denmark	0
55	6	Belgium	0
56	1	Estonia	0
57	6	Vanuatu	0
Complete rankings at INTRL.SPORT

Culture

War cry

From 1908 to 1967, the Australian team performed a war cry before Tests played in Great Britain and France. The war cry was first performed when the Kangaroos arrived atTilburyDocks near London. It was developed after war cries had been performed on tours of Britain by the New ZealandAll Blacksin 1905, the South AfricanSpringboksin 1906 and the New ZealandAll Goldsin 1907. It is believed that the war cry is derived from an indigenous chant onStradbroke Island,Queensland, Australia.

The Kangaroos performing the war cry prior to thetest against Great Britain in 1963atStation Road.

Lyrics	English translation
Wallee Mullalra Choomooroo Tingal Nah! Nah! Nah! Nah! Cannai, Barrang, Warrang, Warrang Yallah, Yallah, Yallah, Yallah, Ah! Jaleeba, Booga, Boorooloong Yarnah meei, meei, meei Meeyarra, Meeyarra, Jeeleeba, Cahwoon, Cooeewah, Cooeewah, Wahh, Wooh.	We are a race of fighters, descended from the War Gods- Beware! Beware! Beware! Beware! Where we fight there will be great bloodshed- Go! Go! Go! Go! We are powerful, but merciful. Are you friends? Good! Good! The Kangaroo is dangerous when at bay. Come on. Come on, Death.

The war cry was performed for the first time in over 40 years before theRugby League World Cupexhibition game between the Indigenous Dreamtime Team and the New Zealand Māori in 2008.

Supporters

The mainsupporter groupof the Australian national team is called the Roo Crew.

See also

• Australian Aboriginal rugby league team
• List of results of the Australian national rugby league team
• Australia national rugby union team

External links

• Australia national rugby league teamonFacebook
• The Story of the Kangaroo War Cry– RL1908.com
• Australia's Green and Gold Colours– RL1908.com
• Google-Video