2008 Rugby League World Cup qualifying

Qualified teams

6 Asian-Pacific teams qualified for the World Cup; 3 qualified automatically, with the top 2 in the Pacific qualifying group also reaching the finals. Samoa finished third in the Pacific qualifying group and earned a qualification spot by winning the repechage. 4 European teams qualified for the World Cup. 2 qualified automatically, with a further 2 finals berths for the winner of each European qualifying group. No teams from the Atlantic qualifying group reached the finals, with the USA losing at the repechage semi-final stage.

Europe

First round

date = 28 April 2006| home = | score = 14–40 | away = | stadium = Hook of Holland | attendance = 250 }} date = 13 May 2006| home = | score = 10–45 | away = | stadium = FK Radnički Stadium, Belgrade | attendance = 500 }} date = 26 May 2006| home = | score = 57–16 | away = | stadium = Locomotive Stadium, Tbilisi | attendance = 10,935 }} date = 4 June 2006| home = | score = 6–44 | away = | stadium = FK Radnički Stadium, Belgrade | attendance = 500 }} date = 17 June 2006| home = | score = 38–26 | away = | stadium = Rotterdamse RC Beekweg, Rotterdam | attendance = 250 }} date = 22 June 2006| home = | score = 24–0| away = | stadium = – }}

Second round

Group A

date = 29 October 2006 | home = | score = 14–21 | away = | Hughes Johnson

Goal: Briers Brough Liddell Nanyn

Goals: Morton Nanyn

Field Goal: Brough date = 4 November 2007 | home = | score = 16–18 | away = | Fisher

Goals: Brough (4/4) Gibson Hughes

Goals: Harris (3/4)

Group B

Lebanon hosted their home fixtures in England due to the political situation in the Middle East.

date = 22 October 2006| home = | score = 12–50 | away = Iliassov Ovchinnikov Bridge (2) Cantillon (2) Littler (2) Goals: Bridge (7/9) date = 28 October 2006| home = | score = 22–8 | away = | stadium = New River Stadium, London | attendance = 300 }} date = 5 November 2006| home = | score = 18–18 | away = | Littler Tandy

Goals: Bridge (3/3) Koborsi Salem

Goals: El Masri (2/2) Salem (1/2) date = 20 October 2007| home = | score = 58–18 | away = Littler (3) Beswick (2) Gleeson (2) Handforth

Goals: Finn (4/6) Handforth (3/5) Logunov Zagoskin Goals: Grigoryan (2/3) Zdobnikov (1/1) attendance = 2,958 }} date = 27 October 2007| home = | score = 0–48 | away = | stadium = Nara Stadium, Narofominsk | attendance = 1,426 }} date = 2 November 2007| home = | score = 16–16 | away = Handforth

Goals: Finn (2) Bridge (2) Salem Samia Goals: Nicholas (2) attendance = 6,812 }} Notes:

• Ireland's Chris Bridge kicked a penalty goal to level the scores in the 77th minute after Lebanon's captain Hassan Saleh conceded a penalty for a high tackle.
• Ireland qualified for the World Cup with a greater points difference than Lebanon, who progressed to the intercontinental repechage.

Speculation of match-fixing

In early 2011, Ryan Tandy and his agent Sam Ayoub were charged in relation to alleged spot-fixing offences during a 2010 National Rugby League match, prompting speculation about the legitimacy of Ireland and Lebanon's two draws. The 2006 drawn match included Tandy representing Ireland and Ayoub's son Jai Ayoub representing Lebanon. Neither Tandy or Ayoub played in the 2007 match. A police investigation in Australia was dismissed due to "jurisdictional issues." Ireland coach Andy Kelly said in 2011 that he believes the games were played "openly and honestly," and that it was a coincidence both games were drawn.

Pacific

date = 29 September 2006| home = | score = 56–14 | away = | stadium = Campbelltown Stadium, Sydney | attendance = 3,013 }} date = 29 September 2006| home = | score = 30–28 | away = | stadium = Campbelltown Stadium, Sydney | attendance = 3,013 }} date = 4 October 2006| home = | score = 30–28 | away = | stadium = Western Weekender Stadium, Sydney | attendance = 3,813 }} date = 4 October 2006| home = | score = 46–6 | away = | stadium = Western Weekender Stadium, Sydney | attendance = 3,813 }} date = 7 October 2006| home = | score = 40–4 | away = | stadium = CUA Stadium, Penrith | attendance = 1,713 }} date = 22 October 2006| home = | score = 18–10 | away = | stadium = Headingley, Leeds | attendance = 5,547 }}

Other

Originally, the USA, Japan, South Africa and West Indies were going to compete in a four-team tournament at Bernie Robbins Stadium, Atlantic City, from 21–28 October.

However, the West Indies and South Africa withdrew before the draw, and a one-off match was played between Japan and the USA.

date = 28 October 2006| home = | score = 54–18 | away = | stadium = Aston Community Center Field, Aston | attendance = 1,200 }}

Repechage

Semi-finals

date = 9 November 2007| home = | score = 26–50 | away = | Blackwood Bracek

Goals: Harris (2/4) Briers El Zbaideh Kourouche Moujalli Ndaira Saab Samia Goals: Nicolas (7/9) date = 9 November 2007| home = | score = 10–42 | away = |

Final

date = 14 November 2007| home = | score = 16–38 | away = | stadium = Post Office Road, Featherstone | attendance = 1,323 }}

• Therefore, Samoa qualified for the final position at the World Cup to be held in Australia in 2008.

Notes

References

Sources

• "World Cup European Preliminary Qualifying Tournament – Euro B", Rugby League European Federation website, retrieved 8 May 2006
• "Rugby League World Cup 2008 – European Qualifying Group", Rugby League European Federation website, retrieved 15 May 2006
• "Impressive Georgia Outrun Dutch in 2nd Half", Rugby League European Federation website, retrieved 28 May 2006
• "World Cup 2008 – European Qualifying Ground", Rugby League European Federation website, retrieved 20 June 2006
• "The Road to World Cup 2008", Scotland Rugby League website, retrieved 16 July 2006.

References

1. Wilson, Andy. (28 October 2006). "Lebanon come to London on road to World Cup". The Guardian.
2. (4 November 2007). "Lebanon 16-16 Ireland". RTE.
3. Walter, Brad. (5 March 2011). "World Cup qualifiers also to be investigated". The Sydney Morning Herald.
4. Wilson, Andy. (5 March 2011). "Ireland's draws against Lebanon dragged into betting investigation". The Guardian.
5. Hadfield, Dave. (3 November 2007). "Lebanon 16 Ireland 16: Late Bridge penalty gives Ireland place in the World Cup". The Independent.
6. Proszenko, Adrian. (6 March 2011). "Police identify final punter". The Sydney Morning Herald.
7. "USA Tomahawks and Japan to battle for Atlantic Cup".