The Student Rugby League World Cup Results from
past tournaments
There have been four previous Student World Cups, two held in this country and
two in Australasia. No home nation has yet won the competition, and past performances
have reflected the dominance of the Australian game in the student sector as
in other parts of the game. Here are the results from all four past tournaments.
The first World Cup in New Zealand certainly reflected the dominant rugby league playing nations of the time, and also the strength and concentration of the student game in this country with Great Britain participating instead of individual Home Nations.
1986 World Cup in New Zealand
Round 1 Round 2
Great Britain 8 France 14 New Zealand 12 France 10
New Zealand 22 Australia 14 Great Britain 40 Papua New Guinea 8
Round 3 Round 4
Australia 12 GB 4 New Zealand 54 Papua New Guinea 0
France 20 PNG 4 Australia 35 France 18
Round 5 3rd Place Play-off
Australia 50 PNG 16 France 24 Great Britain 10
New Zealand 28 GB 12
WORLD CUP FINAL
New Zealand 14 Australia 10
World Cup 2 came to these shores in 1989. Great Britain were now split into the Home Nations, with England applying themselves most successfully to lose narrowly to Australia in the Final. This World Cup also witnessed the first appearance of Holland on the world rugby league stage.
1989 World Cup in England
Round 1 Round 2
Scotland 12 Ireland 16 Australia 36 Scotland 22
Australia 18 England 10 England 65 Ireland 12
New Zealand 20 France 20 New Zealand 28 Wales 10
Wales 48 Holland 10 France 42 Holland 12
Round 3 Semi-Finals
Australia 78 Ireland 8 New Zealand 10 England 20
England 54 Scotland 4 Australia 18 France 2
New Zealand 50 Holland 16
France 18 Wales 4
Play-off for 7th/8th Place Play-off for 5th/6th Place
Holland 10 Scotland 20 Ireland 12 Wales 48
Play-off for 3rd/4th Place
France 28 NZ 16
WORLD CUP FINAL
Australia 10 England 5
The 1992 World Cup moved to Australia, and in addition to the continuing strength of the Australian student game, also saw the rise of the Pacific Islanders. Their senior teams were to make a big impression in the Halifax Centenary World Cup in 1995, but in 1992, Fiji, Samoa and in particular, Tonga, proved to be an instant hit.
1992 World Cup in Australia
Round 1 Round 2
England 38 Ireland 4 Tonga 36 Papua New Guinea 12
Wales 20 Fiji 18 New Zealand 48 Ireland 4
Scotland 42 PNG 14 Fiji 34 England 14
Australia 32 Tonga 6 Australia 38 Scotland 10
New Zealand 15 Samoa 14 Wales 7 Samoa 6
Round 3 Quarter Final
Australia 32 PNG 0 Tonga 44 England 20
Tonga 56 Scotland 12 New Zealand 24 Scotland 18
New Zealand 38 Fiji 20 Wales 57 Fiji 20
Wales 38 Ireland 10 Australia 74 Samoa 14
England 24 Samoa 24
Semi-Finals
Tonga 34 NZ 16
Australia 35 Wales 7
WORLD CUP FINAL
Australia 32 Tonga
The Halifax Student Rugby League 1996 World Cup in England again saw an increase in the number of teams taking part, but unfortunately for the home nations, still no home success. Japan entered the rugby league world stage for the first time, and the USA carried on the good work of their senior side in 1995, by not only participating, but beating the Irish. France proved to be the most successful of the European teams.
1996 World Cup in England
Round 1 Round 2
France 29 England 2 Scotland 10 England 4
Scotland 90 Japan 4 France 76 Japan 0
Samoa 16 NZ 4 New Zealand 62 USA 10
Russia 57 SA 30 Samoa 42 Ireland 16
Australia 50 Wales 4 Australia 68 South Africa 12
USA 22 Ireland 20 Russia 12 Wales 8
Round 3 World Cup Semi-Finals
Samoa 82 USA 6 Samoa 28 France 22
France 36 Scotland 2 Australia 26 New Zealand 6
New Zealand 66 Ireland 0
England 76 Japan 18 Plate Semi-Finals
Australia 52 Russia 5 Wales 42 USA 18
South Africa 30 Wales 28 Ireland 66 Japan 10
South Africa 44 Scotland 16 South Africa 22 England 20
England 32 Russia 18
Bowl Play-Off Plate Play-Off
Russia 26 Scotland 20 USA 54 Japan 10
Plate Final World Cup 3rd/4th Play-Off
Wales 20 Ireland 12 New Zealand 22 France 20
WORLD CUP FINAL
Australia 38 Samoa 16
Student Rugby League World Cup performances - Nation by Nation
A look at each nation’s performances in the four World Cups to date reveal some fascinating statistics, and make great studying not only if you are Australian, but also Welsh! For Wales undoubtedly come out on top of the four home nations on the basis of the following statistics. Although England can point to a World Cup Final appearance in 1989 and a performance that very nearly brought the ultimate prize, the men from the Valleys have consistently performed well over the three competitions in which they have been involved. This fact, coupled with the Welshmen’s European Championship success last year, should instil a great deal of confidence as we near the start of the 1999 World Cup. One other point to note. Although on first appearances, one may get the impression that Australia and New Zealand alone have appeared in all four World Cups, it must be remembered that student players from the British Isles competed as Great Britain as opposed to the four home nations in the first tournament in 1986.
Here are the records (in alphabetical order) for all nations appearing in the Student Rugby League World Cup.
|
Team |
No. * |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
For |
Agst |
Diff |
|
Australia |
4 |
21 |
19 |
0 |
2 |
758 |
215 |
543 |
|
England |
3 |
14 |
6 |
1 |
7 |
384 |
257 |
127 |
|
Fiji |
1 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
92 |
129 |
-37 |
|
France |
3 |
15 |
9 |
1 |
5 |
379 |
193 |
186 |
|
Great Britain |
1 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
74 |
86 |
-12 |
|
Holland |
1 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
48 |
160 |
-112 |
|
Ireland |
3 |
12 |
2 |
0 |
10 |
180 |
487 |
-307 |
|
Japan |
1 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
42 |
362 |
-320 |
|
New Zealand |
4 |
20 |
14 |
1 |
5 |
555 |
302 |
253 |
|
Papua New Guinea |
2 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
54 |
274 |
-220 |
|
Russia |
1 |
5 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
118 |
142 |
-24 |
|
Samoa |
2 |
9 |
4 |
1 |
4 |
242 |
206 |
36 |
|
Scotland |
3 |
13 |
4 |
0 |
9 |
278 |
362 |
-84 |
|
South Africa |
1 |
5 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
138 |
189 |
-51 |
|
Tonga |
1 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
2 |
190 |
125 |
65 |
|
USA |
1 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
110 |
216 |
106 |
|
Wales |
3 |
14 |
8 |
0 |
6 |
341 |
279 |
62 |
No* Number of tournaments