2000 Rugby League World Cup
The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup. It was held in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and France, and took place between 28 October and 25 November 2000. Sixteen national teams competed in four groups of four, playing each other once over three weekly rounds before a series of play-offs that culminated in the final between Australia and New Zealand. Tournament favourites Australia defeated New Zealand in the final, claiming their sixth consecutive and ninth total Rugby League World Cup title. Australian winger Wendell Sailor was named player of the tournament.
| 2000 Rugby League World Cup | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Number of teams | 16 |
| Host countries |  England France Ireland Scotland Wales |
| Winner | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Australia (9th title) |
| Matches played | 31 |
| Attendance | 263,921 (8,514 per match) |
| Top scorer | Mat Rogers (70) |
| Top try scorer | Wendell Sailor (10) |
Summary
Building on the 1995 Rugby League World Cup, it was decided to expand the format further, with the number of teams rising from 10 to 16. As before, an Emerging Nations Tournament was held alongside the main event.
The millennium World Cup attracted a record sponsorship of over £1 million from Lincoln Financial Group, who had also sponsored Great Britain's Tests against New Zealand the previous autumn.[1]
The 2000 World Cup was not considered a great success. There were too many mismatches in the early stages, and some of the teams lacked credibility. Notably the inclusion of a side representing New Zealand's Māori population, Aotearoa Māori, alongside the full New Zealand team, and a Lebanon side consisting entirely of Australians of Lebanese origin, led to derisory comments in the media.[2] The tournament's organisers also attracted criticism regarding marketing and ticketing. For these reasons crowds at the tournament were low; also torrential rainstorms and the crisis on Britain's railways following the Hatfield rail crash did not help encourage spectators.
There were however some positives: the tournament returned a profit of more than £2 million despite the small crowds it attracted;[3] the French performed creditably, and attendance for the games held in France was encouraging. The much-derided Lebanon team also proved the catalyst for domestic competition in that country.
On the competition side of things, favourites Australia[4] and New Zealand cut a swathe through the tournament, with several dominant performances setting up an obvious final clash. New Zealand's 49–6 semi-final dispatch of England, coupled with Australia only hitting the lead in their semi-final against Wales with 23 minutes remaining, had New Zealand installed as favourites in some quarters. However, it was Australia who prevailed in a tense, absorbing finale. Australia only led 18–12 with 15 minutes remaining, but a glut of possession saw them finish strongly – scoring four late tries to give the appearance of an easy victory.
Qualifying
Six countries – Lebanon, the United States, Morocco, Canada, Italy and Japan – competed for one available place in the tournament. Lebanon defeated the United States 62–8 in the final play-off match.
Teams
The 2000 World Cup tournament features 16 teams:
- Australia – coached by Chris Anderson and captained by Brad Fittler
Cook Islands – coached by Stan Martin and captained by Kevin Iro- England – coached by John Kear and captained by Andy Farrell
Fiji – coached by Don Furner and captained by Lote Tuqiri- France – coached by Gilles Dumas and captained by Fabien Devecchi
Ireland – coached by Steve O'Neill and Andy Kelly and captained by Terry O'Connor
Lebanon – coached by John Elias and captained by Darren Marroon
New Zealand – coached by Frank Endacott and captained by Richie Barnett
Aotearoa Māori – coached by Cameron Bell and captained by Tawera Nikau
Papua New Guinea – coached by Bob Bennett and captained by Adrian Lam
Russia – coached by Evgeniy Klebanov and captained by Ian Rubin
Samoa – coached by Darrell Williams and captained by Willie Poching- Scotland – coached by Shaun McRae and captained by Danny Russell
South Africa – coached by Paul Matete and captained by Jamie Bloem
Tonga – coached by Murray Hurst and captained by Martin Masella- Wales – coached by Clive Griffiths and captained by Iestyn Harris
Venues
The games were played at various venues in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France.
The Twickenham Stadium in London, the home of the English rugby union was the host stadium for the opening ceremony and match featuring hosts England and defending champions Australia.[5]
| London |
Cardiff |
Trafford |
Toulouse |
Bolton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twickenham Stadium | Millennium Stadium | Old Trafford (Venue of Final) |
Stadium de Toulouse | Reebok Stadium |
| Capacity: 75,000 | Capacity: 74,500 | Capacity: 56,000 | Capacity: 37,000 | Capacity: 28,723 |
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| Huddersfield |
  Hull (2) Locations of the 2000 Rugby League World Cup host venues in the United Kingdom Locations of the 2000 Rugby League World Cup host venues in the Republic of Ireland Locations of the 2000 Rugby League World Cup host venues in France |
Reading | ||
| McAlpine Stadium | Madejski Stadium | |||
| Capacity: 24,500 | Capacity: 24,161 | |||
 |
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| Leeds |
Watford | |||
| Headingley | Vicarage Road | |||
| Capacity: 22,000 | Capacity: 21,577 | |||
_001.JPG.webp) |
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| Paris |
Edinburgh | |||
| Stade Sébastien Charléty | Tynecastle Stadium | |||
| Capacity: 20,000 | Capacity: 17,529 | |||
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| St. Helens |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Belfast | |||
| Knowsley Road | Windsor Park | |||
| Capacity: 17,500 | Capacity: 17,000 | |||
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| Gloucester |
Widnes | |||
| Kingsholm Stadium | Autoquest Stadium | |||
| Capacity: 16,500 | Capacity: 13,350 | |||
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| Albi |
Hull | |||
| Stadium Municipal d'Albi | Craven Park | |||
| Capacity: 13,058 | Capacity: 12,000 | |||
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| Gateshead |
Castleford | |||
| Gateshead International Stadium | Wheldon Road | |||
| Capacity: 11,800 | Capacity: 11,743 | |||
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| Llanelli |
Wrexham | |||
| Stradey Park | Racecourse Ground | |||
| Capacity: 10,800 | Capacity: 10,771 | |||
 |
 | |||
| Hull |
Glasgow |
Workington |
Carcassonne |
Dublin |
| The Boulevard | Firhill Stadium | Derwent Park | Stade Albert Domec | Tolka Park |
| Capacity: 10,500 | Capacity: 10,102 | Capacity: 10,000 | Capacity: 10,000 | Capacity: 9,680 |
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Group stage
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 198 | 14 | +184 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | England |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 144 | 36 | +108 | 4 | |
| 3 | Fiji |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 56 | 144 | −88 | 2 | |
| 4 | Russia |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 224 | −204 | 0 |
Source: Rugby League Project
| England |
2–22 | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Goals: Farrell (1/1) |
Summary |
Tries: Sailor (2), Gidley, MacDougall Goals: Rogers (3/4) |
Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 33,758 Referee: David Pakieto (New Zealand) Player of the Match: Brett Kimmorley (Australia) |
29 October 2000 |
| Fiji |
38–12 | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| Try: Vunivalu (3), Tuqiri (2), Kuraduadua, Sovatabua Con: Tuqiri (5/7) |
Summary |
Try: Rullis, Ilyasov Con: Zhiltsov (1/1) Mitrofanov (1/1) |
1 November 2000 |
| Australia |
66–8 | Fiji |
|---|---|---|
| Try: Rogers (4), Girdler (2), Kennedy (2), Hindmarsh, Barrett, MacDougall, Gidley Con: Rogers (9/12) |
Summary |
Try: Cakacaka (m), Tuqiri (m) Con: ? (0/2) |
| 1 November 2000 |
| England | 76–4 | Russia |
| Try: Sinfield (3), Jamie Peacock (2), Long (2), Rowley (2), Walker, Stephenson, Hay, Deacon, Pryce Con: Farrell (5), Long (5) | Summary | Pen: Mitrofanov (2) |
| Knowsley Road, St Helens Attendance: 5,736 Referee: Bill Shrimpton |
| 4 November 2000 |
| England | 66–10 | Fiji |
| Try: Jamie Peacock (3), Wellens (2), Rogers (2), Naylor, Hay, Radlinski, Smith, Farrell Con: Farrell (9/12) | Summary | Try: Tuqiri (m), Navale (c), Con: Vunivalu (1/2) |
| Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds Attendance: 10,052 Referee: Thierry Alibert |
| 4 November 2000 |
| Australia | 110–4 | Russia |
| Try: Sailor (4), Girdler (3), Croker (2), Hindmarsh (2), Barrett (2), Johns, Tallis, Fletcher, Webcke, MacDougall, Gidley Con: Girdler (17/19) | Summary | Try: Matt Donovan Con: Mikhail Mitrofanov (0/2) |
| The Boulevard, Hull Attendance: 3,044 Referee: Stuart Cummings |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Zealand |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 206 | 28 | +178 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Wales |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 80 | 86 | −6 | 4 | |
| 3 | Lebanon |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 44 | 110 | −66 | 1 | |
| 4 | Cook Islands |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 38 | 144 | −106 | 1 |
Source: Rugby League Project
29 October 2000 |
| New Zealand |
64–0 | Lebanon |
|---|---|---|
| Try: Jones (2), Carroll (2), Vainikolo (2), Talau (2), Barnett (2), Swain, Jellick Con: Jones (6), Paul (2) |
29 October 2000 |
| Wales |
38–6 | Cook Islands |
|---|---|---|
| Try: Tassell (3), Jenkins, Briers, Cunningham Con: Harris (6/6) Pen.: Harris (1/1) |
Try: Temata Con: Piakura (1/1) |
| 2 November 2000 |
| New Zealand | 84–10 | Cook Islands |
| Try: Vaealiki (2), Paul (2), Barnett (2), Lavea (2), Lauiti'iti, Vainikolo, Wiki, Cayless, Pongia, Vagana, Puletua Con: Lavea (12/15) | Try: Noovao Iro Con: Piakura (1/2) |
| Madejski Stadium, Reading Attendance: 3,982 Referee: Tim Mander |
| 2 November 2000 |
| Wales | 24–22 | Lebanon |
| Try: Harris (2), Davies, Cunningham, Sterling Con: Harris (2/5) | Try: Saleh (2), Coorey El Masri Con: El Masri (3/4) |
| Stradey Park, Llanelli Attendance: 1,497 Referee: David Pakieto |
| 5 November 2000 |
| Cook Islands | 22–22 | Lebanon |
| Try: Berryman (2), Toa, Joe Con: Berryman (2) Piakura | Try: El Masri (2), Touma, Saleh Con: El Masri (3/4) |
| Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 17,612 Referee: Bill Shrimpton |
| 5 November 2000 |
| Wales | 18–58 | New Zealand |
| Try: Briers, Atcheson, Farrell Con: Harris (3/3) | Try: Vainikolo (3), Barnett (2), Lauiti'iti, Wiki, Vagana, Paul, Talau, Carroll Con: Paul (5) Lavea (2) |
| Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 17,612 Referee: Russell Smith |
Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Papua New Guinea |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 42 | +27 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | France |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 104 | 37 | +67 | 4 | |
| 3 | Tonga |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 96 | 76 | +20 | 2 | |
| 4 | South Africa |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 24 | 138 | −114 | 0 |
Source: Rugby League Project
28 October 2000 |
| Papua New Guinea |
23–20 | France |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Bai, Krewanty, Buko, Lam. Goals: Buko, Wilshere 2. Drop Goals: Lam. |
Tries: Benausse, Dekkiche, Hechiche 2. Goals: Banquet 2. |
28 October 2000 |
| Tonga |
66–18 | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| Try: Vaikona 5' (c) D. Mann 7' (c) Vaikona 20' (c) Liava'a ?' (m) Masella ?' (m) Moala ?' (m) E. Mann 44' (m) Vaikona 46' (m) Lomi 51' (c) Vaikona 55' (c) Kaufusi ?' (?) D. Mann ?' (?) Mason ?' (?) Con: Moala (4/9) Mason (1/1) |
Try: Breytenbach 17' (m) Barnard ?' (c) Best ?' (c) Con: ? (0/1) Bloem (2/2) Pen: O'Shea (1/1) |
1 November 2000 |
| France |
28–8 | Tonga |
|---|---|---|
| Try: Banquet ?' (c) Sirvent ?' (c) Dulac 66' (m) Garcia ?' (c) Jampy ?' (c) Con: Banquet (4/5) Pen: Banquet (0/2) |
Try: D. Fisi'iahi ?' (m) P. Fisi'iahi 60' (m) Con: Moala (0/2) |
| 2 November 2000 |
| Papua New Guinea | 16–0 | South Africa |
| Try: Aila 25' (c) Wilshere 31' (c) Paiyo 52' (m) Con: Wilshere (2/3) |
| Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse Attendance: 4,313 Referee: Darren Hopewell |
| 5 November 2000 |
| France | 56–6 | South Africa |
| Try: Cassin 8' (c) Banquet 21' (c) Cassin 35' (c) Guisset 38' (c) Jampy ?' (c) Jampy ?' (c) Jampy 53' (c) Sirvent ?' (c) Tallec ?' (c) Con: Banquet (9/9) Pen: Banquet (1/1) 18' | Try: De Villiers ?' (m) Con: ? (0/1) Pen: Bloem (1/1) ?' |
| Stadium Municipal d'Albi, Albi Attendance: 7,969 Referee: Steve Clark |
| 6 November 2000 |
| Papua New Guinea | 30–22 | Tonga |
| Try: Mondo 19' (c) Gene 23' (m) Buko 35' (c) Karl ?' (m) Gene ?' (c) Con: Wiltshere (3/5) Pen: Wiltshere (2/2) 5', 42' | Try: Moala 10' (c) Mason 39' (c) Moala ?' (m) Vaikona ?' (m) Con: Moala (2/2) Pen: Moala (1/1) 7' |
| Saint-Esteve, Perpignan Attendance: 3,666 Referee: Steve Ganson |
Group D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ireland |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 78 | 38 | +40 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Samoa |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 57 | 58 | −1 | 4 | |
| 3 | Aotearoa Māori |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 49 | 67 | −18 | 2 | |
| 4 | Scotland |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 34 | 55 | −21 | 0 |
Source: Rugby League Project
28 October 2000 |
| Ireland |
30–16 | Samoa |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Joynt, Ricketson, Eagar, Carney, Prescott. Goals: Prescott 5 |
Tries: Leauma, Milford, Betham. Goals: Geros 2. |
Windsor Park, Belfast[12] Attendance: 3,207 Referee: Tim Mander Player of the Match: Barrie McDermott[13] |
29 October 2000 |
| Scotland |
16–17 | Aotearoa Māori |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Penny, Maiden, Bell Goals: Mackay, Crowther |
Tries: Toopi 2, Kidwell Goals: Ngamu 2 Drop Goals: Ngamu |
1 November 2000 |
| Ireland |
18–6 | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Sheridan, Withers. Goals: Prescott 5. |
Tries: Arnold. Goals: Crowther. |
1 November 2000 |
| Samoa |
21–16 | Aotearoa Māori |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Faafili 2, W Swann, Milford. Goals: Poching 2. |
Tries: Mathews, Nelson, Rauhihi. Goals: Goodwin 2. |
Knockout stage
The top 2 teams from each pool advanced to the quarter-finals.
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 11 November – Leeds | ||||||||||
| Ireland | 16 | |||||||||
| 18 November – Bolton | ||||||||||
| England | 26 | |||||||||
| England | 6 | |||||||||
| 12 November – Castleford | ||||||||||
| New Zealand | 49 | |||||||||
| New Zealand | 54 | |||||||||
| 25 November – Manchester | ||||||||||
| France | 6 | |||||||||
| New Zealand | 12 | |||||||||
| 11 November – Watford | ||||||||||
| Australia | 40 | |||||||||
| Australia | 66 | |||||||||
| 19 November – Huddersfield | ||||||||||
| Samoa | 10 | |||||||||
| Australia | 46 | |||||||||
| 12 November – Widnes | ||||||||||
| Wales | 22 | |||||||||
| Papua New Guinea | 8 | |||||||||
| Wales | 22 | |||||||||
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
18 November 2000 |
| New Zealand |
49–6 | England |
|---|---|---|
| Summary |
Reebok Stadium, Bolton Attendance: 16,032 Referee: Tim Mander (Australia) Player of the Match: Stephen Kearney (New Zealand) |
Final
25 November 2000 |
| Australia |
40–12 | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Gidley 26' Hindmarsh 46' Lockyer 53' Sailor (2) 66', 69' Fittler 74' Barrett 76' Goals: Rogers (6/7) |
Summary |
Tries: Vainikolo 50' Carroll 57' Goals: H. Paul (2/2) |
Old Trafford, Manchester[15] Attendance: 44,329 Referee: Stuart Cummings (England) Player of the Match: Wendell Sailor (Australia) |
Try scorers
- 10
- 9
- 6
- 5
- 4
- 3
- 2
- Jason Croker
- Scott Hill
- Steve Berryman
- Andy Hay
- Sean Long
- Darren Rogers
- Paul Rowley
- Chev Walker
- Paul Wellens
- Frédéric Banquet
- Jean-Emmanuel Cassin
- Rachid Hechiche
- Brian Carney
- Ryan Sheridan
- Brian Jellick
- Stacey Jones
- Stephen Kearney
- Ali Lauiti'iti
- Tasesa Lavea
- Quentin Pongia
- Logan Swann
- David Vaealiki
- Boycie Nelson
- Clinton Toopi
- David Buko
- Stanley Gene
- John Wilshere
- Henry Fa'afili
- David Solomona
- Duane Mann
- Willie Mason
- Iestyn Harris
- Wes Davies
- 1
- Craig Gower
- Brett Kimmorley
- Gordon Tallis
- Shane Webcke
- Kevin Iro
- Leroy Joe
- Meti Noovao
- Karl Temata
- Tiri Toa
- Paul Deacon
- Andy Farrell
- Scott Naylor
- Leon Pryce
- Kris Radlinski
- Keith Senior
- Francis Stephenson
- Patrice Benausse
- Yacine Dekkiche
- Arnaud Dulac
- Jean-Marc Garcia
- Jérôme Guisset
- Julien Rinaldi
- Gael Tallec
- Tabua Cakacaka
- Jone Kuraduadua
- Eparama Navale
- Waisale Sovatabua
- David Barnhill
- Martin Crompton
- Michael Eagar
- Mark Forster
- Chris Joynt
- Tommy Martyn
- Steve Prescott
- Luke Ricketson
- Michael Coorey
- Travis Touma
- Richie Blackmore
- Nathan Cayless
- Henry Paul
- Tony Puletua
- Matt Rua
- Craig Smith
- David Kidwell
- Wairangi Koopu
- Steve Matthews
- Paul Rauhihi
- Hare Te Rangi
- Eddie Aila
- Marcus Bai
- Raymond Karl
- Alex Krewanty
- Adrian Lam
- Michael Mondo
- Elias Paiyo
- Lucas Solbat
- Matt Donovan
- Robert Ilyasov
- Joel Rullis
- Monty Betham
- Willie Swann
- Danny Arnold
- Geoff Bell
- David Maiden
- Lee Penny
- Scott Rhodes
- Adrian Vowles
- Daniel Foster
- Paul Fisiiahi
- David Fisiiahi
- Lipina Kaufusi
- Talite Liava'a
- Nelson Lomi
- Esau Mann
- Martin Masella
- Willie Wolfgramm
- Leon Barnard
- Brian Best
- Coenraad Breytenbach
- Quinton De Villiers
- Paul Atcheson
- Jason Critchley
- Keiron Cunningham
- Anthony Farrell
- Mick Jenkins
- Paul Sterling
- Ian Watson
References
- Hadfield, Dave (20 April 1999). "World Cup to get pounds 1m backing". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
- Wilson, Andy (26 October 2000). "Maori role-model army signal intent". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
- "World Cup returns profit". BBC Sport. 27 November 2000. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
- Davies, Jonathan (22 October 2000). "Roll up and glory in the best". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- "England draw Australia in 2013 Rugby League World Cup". BBC News. 30 November 2010. Archived from the original on 1 December 2010. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
- Hampson, Andy (2000). "Fiji 38 Russia 12". sportinglife.com. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
- Hampson, Andy (2000). "Australia 68 Fiji 8". sportinglife.com. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
- Baldock, Andrew (2000). "New Zealand 64 Lebanon 0". PA Sport. sportinglife.com. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
- Laybourn, Ian (2000). "Wales 38 Cook Islands 6". sportinglife.com. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
- Hannan, Tony (2000). "France 20 Papua New Guinea 23". sportinglife.com. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
- Hannan, Tony (2000). "South Africa 18 Tonga 66". PA Sport. sportinglife.com. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
- Longmore, Andrew (27 August 2000). "League joins peace process". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
- "Rugby League Scores, Fixtures & Results - Sporting Life". www.sportinglife.com. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- "Rugby League Scores, Fixtures & Results - Sporting Life". www.sportinglife.com. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- "Australia vs. New Zealand - Rugby League Project". Rugby League Project. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
External links
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