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The 1989–1992 Rugby League World Cup (sometimes shortened to 1992 Rugby League World Cup) was the tenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup, and continued to use the three-year format, stretching across the years 1989 to 1992. As with the 1985–1988 World Cup, teams played each other on a home-and-away basis. These matches were fitted into the normal international programme of three-match test series between the nations, with a pre-designated match from each series counting as the World Cup fixture. The tournament culminated in the 1992 Rugby League World Cup final.

Quick Facts Rugby League World Cup (), Number of teams ...
1989–1992 (1989–1992) Rugby League World Cup  ()
Number of teams5
Winner Australia (7th title)

Matches played21
Attendance300,059 (14,289 per match)
Points scored834 (39.71 per match)
Top scorerAustralia Mal Meninga (70)
Top try scorerAustralia Mal Meninga (7)
1995 > 
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The matches went strictly to form, with Australia undefeated and certain to claim a world cup final berth as early as 1991. France and Papua New Guinea were uncompetitive, leading to a straight fight between New Zealand and Great Britain for the right to meet the Kangaroos in the final. In the event the Lions were able to just edge out the Kiwis on points difference.

As they had done in 1988, Australia had won the right to host the World Cup final. However, with the potential for a much larger attendance, the Australian Rugby League agreed to allow Great Britain to host the game at the 82,000 capacity Wembley Stadium in London. The final was a surprisingly close affair, with Great Britain leading with only 12 minutes to go. The game's only try was then scored by centre Steve Renouf in his international debut for the Kangaroos and Australia were able to claim their fourth consecutive World Cup title before a world record international rugby league attendance of 73,631.[1]

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Venues

More information Brisbane, Leeds ...
Australia Brisbane England Leeds New Zealand Auckland England Wigan
Lang Park Elland Road Mount Smart Stadium Central Park
Capacity: 32,500 Capacity: 32,500 Capacity: 30,000 Capacity: 30,000
New Zealand Christchurch New Zealand Christchurch Papua New Guinea Port Moresby England Hull
Queen Elizabeth II Park Addington Showgrounds Lloyd Robson Oval The Boulevard
Capacity: 25,000 Capacity: 18,000 Capacity: 17,000 Capacity: 16,000
France Perpignan Australia Parkes Papua New Guinea Goroka Australia Townsville
Stade Gilbert Brutus Pioneer Oval Danny Leahy Oval Townsville Sports Reserve
Capacity: 13,000 Capacity: 12,000 Capacity: 12,000 Capacity: 12,000
France Carcassonne
Stade Albert Domec
Capacity: 10,000
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Final

The World Cup final was played at Wembley Stadium in London.

More information London ...
England London
Wembley Stadium
Capacity: 82,000
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Matches

Group stage

More information Team, Pld ...
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
 Australia 8 8 0 0 236 68 +168 16 Advances to the Final
 Great Britain 8 5 0 3 215 79 +136 10
 New Zealand 8 5 0 3 203 120 +83 10
 France 8 2 0 6 80 247 167 4
 Papua New Guinea 8 0 0 8 84 304 220 0
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Source: RLWC2013

1989

More information New Zealand, 14–22 ...
New Zealand  14–22  Australia
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23 July 1989
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
Attendance: 15,000

The first match of the 1989–1992 World Cup was also the 3rd test of the 1989 Trans-Tasman Test series which was won 3–0 by Australia

More information Great Britain, 10–6 ...
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11 November 1989
Central Park, Wigan
Attendance: 20,346
More information France, 0–34 ...
France  0–34  New Zealand
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3 December 1989
Stade d'Albert Domec, Carcassonne
Attendance: 4,208

1990

More information Papua New Guinea, 8–40 ...
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2 June 1990
Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby
Attendance: 7,837
More information Australia, 34–2 ...
Australia  34–2  France
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27 June 1990
Pioneer Oval, Parkes, New South Wales
Attendance: 12,384
More information New Zealand, 21–18 ...
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15 July 1990
Queen Elizabeth II Park, Christchurch
Attendance: 3,133
More information Papua New Guinea, 10–18 ...
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11 August 1990
Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby
Attendance: 7,837
More information Great Britain, 0–14 ...
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24 November 1990
Elland Road, Leeds
Attendance: 32,500

This match was also the 3rd and deciding test of the 1990 Ashes series.

More information France, 10–34 ...
France  10–34  Australia
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9 December 1990
Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan
Attendance: 3,428

1991

More information France, 10–45 ...
France  10–45  Great Britain
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27 January 1991
Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan
Attendance: 3,965
More information New Zealand, 32–10 ...
New Zealand  32–10  France
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23 June 1991
Addington Showground, Christchurch
Attendance: 2,000
More information Papua New Guinea, 18–20 ...
Papua New Guinea  18–20  France
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7 July 1991
Danny Leahy Oval, Goroka
Attendance: 11,485
More information Australia, 40–12 ...
Australia  40–12  New Zealand
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31 July 1991
Lang Park, Brisbane
Attendance: 29,139

This match was also the 3rd and deciding test of the 1991 Trans-Tasman series.

More information Papua New Guinea, 6–40 ...
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13 October 1991
Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby
Attendance: 14,500

Australian winger Willie Carne crossed for a hat trick of tries in Port Moresby.

More information Great Britain, 56–4 ...
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9 November 1991
Central Park, Wigan
Attendance: 4,193
More information France, 28–14 ...
France  28–14  Papua New Guinea
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24 November 1991
Stade d'Albert Domec, Carcassonne
Attendance: 1,440

1992

More information Great Britain, 36–0 ...
Great Britain  36–0  France
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7 March 1992
The Boulevard, Kingston-upon-Hull
Attendance: 5,250
More information Australia, 16–10 ...
Australia  16–10  Great Britain
Tries:
Daley
Meninga
Goals:
Meninga (4)
Tries:
Offiah
Goals:
Eastwood (3)
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3 July 1992
Lang Park, Brisbane
Attendance: 32,313
Player of the Match: Paul Sironen (Australia)

In addition to being an allocated World Cup match, this was the third, deciding test of the 1992 Ashes series. This six-point margin of defeat meant that New Zealand would need to beat Papua New Guinea by 109 points in the following match to prevent a Great Britain-Australia World Cup final in October.[2]

More information New Zealand, 66–10 ...
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5 July 1992
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
Attendance: 3,000
More information Australia, 36–14 ...
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15 July 1992
Townsville Sports Reserve, Queensland
Attendance: 12,470

Final

More information Great Britain, 6–10 ...
Great Britain  6–10  Australia
Tries:

Goals:
Deryck Fox (3/4)
Tries:
Steve Renouf
Goals:
Mal Meninga (3/4)
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24 October 1992
2:30PM (BST)
Wembley Stadium, London
Attendance: 73,631[3]
Referee: Dennis Hale New Zealand
Player of the Match: Steve Walters
Thumb
Thumb
Great Britain
Thumb
Thumb
Thumb
Thumb
Australia
FB1Joe Lydon
RW2Alan Hunte
RC3Gary Connolly
LC4Garry Schofield (c)
LW5Martin Offiah
SO6Shaun Edwards
SH7Deryck Fox
PR8Kevin Ward
HK9Martin Dermott
PR10Andy Platt
SR11Denis Betts
SR12Phil Clarke
LK13Ellery Hanley
Substitutions:
IC14John Devereux
IC15Alan Tait
IC16Kelvin Skerrett
IC17Richard Eyres
Coach:
England Mal Reilly
FB1Tim Brasher
RW2Willie Carne
RC3Steve Renouf
LC4Mal Meninga (c)
LW5Michael Hancock
FE6Brad Fittler
HB7Allan Langer
PR8Glenn Lazarus
HK9Steve Walters
PR10Mark Sargent
SR11Paul Sironen
SR12Bob Lindner
LF13Bradley Clyde
Substitutions:
IC14David Gillespie
IC15Kevin Walters
IC16John Cartwright
IC17Chris Johns
Coach:
Australia Bob Fulton

This match set a new world record attendance for a rugby league international of 73,631, beating the previous record of 70,204 set at the Sydney Cricket Ground during the 1932 Ashes series.[4] As they had done in 1988, Australia won the right to host the World Cup final. However, in the interests of rugby league, and the potential for a much larger attendance since at the time Lang Park in Brisbane could only hold 33,000, and the Sydney Football Stadium could only seat 42,000, the ARL agreed to Great Britain hosting the final at the 82,000 capacity Wembley.

Unlike 1988 when Australia had agreed to let New Zealand host the Final at Eden Park in Auckland due to dwindling international attendances in Australia, the international game had become popular again over the next four years (mainly due to much improved performances by Great Britain and New Zealand) and there was a good chance of sell-out crowd in either Brisbane or Sydney for the game. However, the potential for an attendance at Wembley that would be almost or more than double the size that could be seen in Australia, and the potential exposure from playing the game at one of the world's most iconic stadiums, could not be ignored.

Both coaches picked experienced teams, with only Australian's Tim Brasher (fullback) and Steve Renouf (centre) making their international debut in the game. With incumbent fullback Andrew Ettingshausen unavailable through injury, Australian coach Bob Fulton preferred utility outside back Brasher over Newcastle Knights fullback Brad Godden due to Brasher's previous big game experience having played in Balmain's 1989 Grand Final loss as well as making his State of Origin debut earlier in the year. Fulton also chose seven members from the Brisbane Broncos 1992 Winfield Cup premiership winning team including exciting centre Renouf. Lions coach Mal Reilly chose to retain Garry Schofield as captain despite the presence of Ellery Hanley in the team. He also went with pace on the wings with Martin Offiah and St. Helens flyer Alan Hunte.

The hard-fought final was a one-try affair, with Great Britain leading 6–4 with only 12 minutes remaining.[5] The only try of the match was then set up by Australian replacement back Kevin Walters, who, with a clever cut-out pass, put his Broncos teammate Steve Renouf into a gap not covered by replacement Lions centre John Devereux. Renouf, in his debut test for Australia, then raced 20 metres to score in the corner.[6] Otherwise, the two teams' kickers (Mal Meninga and Deryck Fox) were called upon to score most of the points, including Meninga's pressure sideline conversion of Renouf's try. The rain started pouring in the second half and Australia was able to hold Great Britain out and maintain their lead until the final siren.

Australia's triumph saw them win their fourth World Cup in a row after winning the previous cups in 1975, 1977 and 1988. It also ended a mini-hoodoo for the Kangaroos at London's Wembley Stadium. Australia had previously left the arena 21–12 losers in 1973, and the 1990 Kangaroos were outplayed by Great Britain 19–12, but when it mattered most this time around Australia proved themselves as worthy World Cup champions.

The match was telecast live late at night throughout Australia on the Nine Network, with commentary provided by Ray Warren, Peter Sterling and Paul Vautin, with sideline comments from Chris Bombolas. The game broke Australia's midnight-to-dawn television ratings record which was set a year earlier by the rugby union's 1991 Rugby World Cup final.[7]

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Try scorers

7
5
4
3
2
1
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References

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