1968 Rugby League World Cup final
| 1968Rugby League World Cup final | |||||||||||||
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| Date | 10 June 1968 | ||||||||||||
| Stadium | Sydney Cricket Ground | ||||||||||||
| Location | Sydney,Australia | ||||||||||||
| Man of the Match | John Wittenberg(Australia) | ||||||||||||
| Referee | John Percival(New Zealand) | ||||||||||||
| Attendance | 54,290 | ||||||||||||
| Broadcast partners | |||||||||||||
The1968 Rugby League World Cup finalwas the conclusive game of the1968 Rugby League World Cuptournament and was played betweenAustraliaandFranceon 10 June 1968 at theSydney Cricket GroundinAustralia.
The final had been billed a 'debacle' followingGreat Britain's inexplicable loss to France inAuckland,leaving them to contest the final despite being beaten by Australia seven tries to nil two days prior.[1]Nonetheless, it attracted a then record crowd of 54,290 for a World Cup final, though it wasn't the record World Cup attendance as the second match of the tournament between Australia andGreat Britain(won 25-10 by Australia) had drawn 62,256 to the SCG, a record that would not fall until 73,631 attended the1992 World Cup finalatWembley Stadium.
Background[edit]
The 1968 Rugby League World Cup was the fourth staging of theRugby League World Cupsince itsinauguration in 1954,and the first since the1960 tournament.The tournament was held in theAustraliaandNew Zealandfrom 25 May, culminating in the final between Australia and France on 10 June.
Australia[edit]
- Scores and results list Australia's points tally first.
| Opposing Team | For | Against | Date | Venue | Attendance | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Great Britain |
25 | 10 | 25 May | Sydney Cricket Ground,Sydney | 62,256 | Group Stage |
 New Zealand |
31 | 12 | 1 June | Lang Park,Brisbane | 23,608 | Group Stage |
 France |
37 | 4 | 8 June | Lang Park,Brisbane | 32,664 | Group Stage |
Australia were undefeated going into the final.
France[edit]
- Scores and results list France's points tally first.
| Opposing Team | For | Against | Date | Venue | Attendance | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand |
15 | 10 | 25 May | Carlaw Park,Auckland | 18,000 | Group Stage |
| Great Britain |
7 | 2 | 2 June | Carlaw Park,Auckland | 15,760 | Group Stage |
 Australia |
4 | 37 | 8 June | Lang Park,Brisbane | 32,664 | Group Stage |
France had a 2–1 record going into the Final
Match details[edit]
Although it had been anticipated before the tournament that it would be an Australia vs Great Britain WCF, the French surprised by making the Final after defeating both New Zealand and Great Britain in the preliminary games. The match attracted a World Cup final record crowd of 54,290.
10 June 1968
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| Australia
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20–2 | France
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| Try: Lionel Williamson(2) Ron Coote Johnny Greaves Goals: Eric Simms(4) |
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Try: Goals: Field Goals: Jean Capdouze(1) |
Sydney Cricket Ground,Sydney
Attendance: 54,290 Referee:John Percival(New Zealand) Player of the Match:John Wittenberg(Australia) |
          Australia
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    France
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The undefeated Australians went into the tournament decider as favourites.[3]However, France offered stern resistance and held the Australians to only a 7–0 lead at half-time, and with quarter of an hour left were only 12–0 down before losing 20–2. It was Australia's second World Cup title.[4]
References[edit]
- ^"Rugby league debacle".The Age.10 June 1968. p. 21.Retrieved6 October2009.
- ^Report
- ^Kdouh, Fatima (28 November 2013)."We take a look back at the greatest Rugby League World Cup finals of all time".The Daily Telegraph.Retrieved23 December2013.
- ^1968 Rugby League World Cup final highlights