2013 Rugby League World Cup

Organisation

Background

The Rugby League International Federation confirmed this competition as a part of its international program. The RLIF announced a five-year plan to build up to the 2013 World Cup with Four Nations tournaments held in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The competition was part of the UK's "Golden Decade of Sport". 2013 was chosen as the year of the World Cup to avoid a clash with the London Olympics in 2012. After 2013, the Cup will be held on a quadrennial cycle.

Host selection

In addition to the United Kingdom, Australia announced its intention to bid for the hosting rights, despite hosting the previous World Cup in 2008. The Australian Rugby League had been preparing a rival bid due to the success of the 2008 event but the business plan presented by the Rugby Football League for the UK to be the host was accepted by the RLIF at a meeting in July 2009. The event formed part of what was being dubbed a 'Golden Decade' in British Sport.

The UK last hosted the World Cup in 2000, with the event generally being considered unsuccessful.

The then Prince of Wales, HRH Prince Charles welcomed representatives of all 14 nations and tournament organisers with a reception at Clarence House.

Qualification

Main article: 2013 Rugby League World Cup qualifying

There were two qualifying pools for the remaining two World Cup places; a European and an Atlantic pool, with one side from each to qualify.

The European Qualifying group involved Italy, Lebanon, Russia and Serbia while the Atlantic Qualifying group involved Jamaica, South Africa and the USA. In the Atlantic Qualifiers the United States and Jamaica defeated South Africa in the opening rounds leaving the final match between the two to determine who qualified for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. United States defeated Jamaica to qualify for their first ever Rugby League World Cup.

• Qualifying Pool One (Europe)

  • ---

Qualifying Pool Two (Atlantic)

Teams

The competition featured fourteen teams, compared to ten in 2008. Originally around twenty teams were to be involved in qualification, but subsequently the total number of teams involved in the tournament was fixed at nineteen. Twelve nations automatically qualified; the ten nations that contested the previous World Cup, Wales as winners of the 2009 European Nations Cup and the Cook Islands as runners up in the 2009 Pacific Cup.

Match officials

Rules and officiating panel: Daniel Anderson, Stuart Cummings and David Waite.

• Australia: Ben Cummins, Shayne Hayne, Ashley Klein and Grant Atkins.
• England: Phil Bentham, Richard Silverwood, Ben Thaler; James Child, Joe Cobb, Mark Craven, Robert Hicks, Chris Leatherbarrow, Tony Martin, Tim Roby, Clint Sharrad, George Stokes, Matt Thomason and Warren Turley
• France: Thierry Alibert and Jose Pereira
• New Zealand: Henry Perenara and Jamal Thompson.

Pre-tournament matches

Before the World Cup it was announced that USA would face France in Toulouse, Scotland would play Papua New Guinea at Featherstone, England would play Italy at Salford, New Zealand would play the Cook Islands in Doncaster and England Knights would play Samoa at Salford.

Venues

The games were played at various venues in England, Wales, Ireland, and France.

The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff was the host stadium for the opening ceremony and a double header featuring hosts England playing Australia and Wales taking on Italy. The decision to play England vs Australia in Cardiff to open the tournament drew criticism from some in the press who believed that the game should have been played in England where a higher attendance could be expected, or at least a full house which would have looked better than the almost half empty Millennium Stadium.

Headingley in Leeds, the Halliwell Jones Stadium in Warrington, the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham and the DW Stadium in Wigan hosted the quarter-finals. Both semi-finals were hosted at Wembley Stadium, with the final held at Old Trafford.

Match schedule

The match schedule was announced on 22 March 2012. The Rugby League International Federation announced the kickoff times of the matches, with the opening kickoff to be held on 26 October in Cardiff, at 14:30 local time. The group stage matches will be played at 14:00, 14:30, 16:00, 16:30, 18:00, and 20:00 local time, with knockout stage matches at 13:00, 15:00, and 20:00 local time. The semi-finals will be played at 13:00 and 15:30 local time and the final, on 30 November 2013 at the Old Trafford stadium, at 14:30 local time.

Opening ceremony

The opening ceremony took place at the Millennium Stadium on 26 October. The ceremony saw 550 dancers perform, 500 amateur and 50 professional, including former players Martin Offiah and Gareth Thomas, both of whom are former Strictly Come Dancing contestants. The ceremony also featured live music and a light show. The ceremony preceded the opening matches of England versus Australia, and Wales versus Italy.

Group stage

The draw, undertaken at the launch of the event in Manchester on 30 November 2010, involved four groups The first two groups were made up of four teams whilst the other two groups feature three teams each. The quarter-final round was made up of the first three teams in the first two groups and the winners of each of the smaller groups. Group play involved a round robin in the larger groups, and a round robin in the smaller groups with an additional inter-group game for each team so all teams played three group games.

Group A

Main article: 2013 Rugby League World Cup Group A

Group B

Main article: 2013 Rugby League World Cup Group B

Group C

Main article: 2013 Rugby League World Cup Group C

Group D

Main article: 2013 Rugby League World Cup Group D

Inter-group matches

Knockout stage

Main article: 2013 Rugby League World Cup knockout stage

The quarter-finals followed the group stage, with three teams from each of Groups A and B and one team from each of Groups C and D qualifying.

All times listed below are in Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0) for English and Welsh venues.

| RD1-seed1 = A1 | RD1-team1 = **** | RD1-score1 = 62 | RD1-seed2 = D1 | RD1-team2 = | RD1-score2 = 0 | RD1-seed3 = B2 | RD1-team3 = | RD1-score3 = 4 | RD1-seed4 = A3 | RD1-team4 = **** | RD1-score4 = 22 | RD1-seed5 = A2 | RD1-team5 = **** | RD1-score5 = 34 | RD1-seed6 = B3 | RD1-team6 = | RD1-score6 = 6 | RD1-seed7 = B1 | RD1-team7 = **** | RD1-score7 = 40 | RD1-seed8 = C1 | RD1-team8 = | RD1-score8 = 4 | RD2-seed1 =A1 | RD2-team1 = **** | RD2-score1 = 64 | RD2-seed2 = A3 | RD2-team2 = | RD2-score2 = 0 | RD2-seed3 = A2 | RD2-team3 = | RD2-score3 = 18 | RD2-seed4 = B1 | RD2-team4 = **** | RD2-score4 = 20 | RD3-seed1 =A1 | RD3-team1 =**** | RD3-score1 =34 | RD3-seed2 =B1 | RD3-team2 = | RD3-score2 = 2

Quarter-finals

Bromwich 15' c Tuivasa-Sheck (2) 20' m, 50' c Pritchard 27' c Johnson 30' c Vatuvei 58' m Goal: Johnson (4/8) 17, 28', 31', 51' Goal: Brough (0/1)

Inglis (2) 11' c, 50' c Morris (4) 21' m, 26' m, 35' m, 39' m Smith 23' c Cronk 28' c Goal: Thurston (7/12) 12', 23', 28', 50', 57', 70', 79'

Hall (2) 18' c, 28' c O'Loughlin 47' c Ferres 77' c Goal: Sinfield (5/6) 11', 18', 28', 47', 77' Goal: Bosc (1/1) 5'

W. Naiqama 32' c Roqica 78' c Goal: W. Naiqama (5/5) 5', 8', 32', 71', 78'

Semi-finals

Johnson 80' c Goal: Johnson (4/5) 33', 38', 53' 80' Watkins 58' m S. Burgess 67' c Goal: Sinfield (3/4) 17', 25', 68'

Darius Boyd (2) 15' m, 59' c Cronk 19' c Hayne (3) 22' c, 37' c, 68' c Papalii 35'c Tamou 53' c Morris 72' c Fifita 79' c Goal: Thurston (10/11) 10', 20', 23', 36', 39', 55', 60', 69', 73', 80'

Final

Main article: 2013 Rugby League World Cup final

Goals: Shaun Johnson (1/1) 16' Billy Slater (2) 19' c, 41' c Cooper Cronk 30' c Brett Morris (2) 52' c, 72' c Goals: Johnathan Thurston (7/7) 4', 19', 30', 35', 41', 52', 72'

Try scorers

;9 tries

• AUS Brett Morris
• AUS Jarryd Hayne

;8 tries

• ENG Ryan Hall
• NZL Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

;5 tries

• AUS Cooper Cronk
• SAM Antonio Winterstein

;4 tries

• AUS Darius Boyd
• AUS Billy Slater
• NZL Bryson Goodwin
• NZL Shaun Johnson
• NZL Manu Vatuvei
• SCO Matty Russell
• WAL Christiaan Roets

;3 tries

• CKI Chris Taripo
• ENG Josh Charnley
• ENG Brett Ferres
• FIJ Akuila Uate
• NZL Sonny Bill Williams

;2 tries

• AUS Greg Bird
• AUS Daly Cherry-Evans
• AUS Andrew Fifita
• AUS Greg Inglis
• AUS Josh Papalii
• AUS Johnathan Thurston
• CKI Dominique Peyroux
• ENG Tom Briscoe
• ENG Sam Burgess
• ENG Sean O'Loughlin
• ENG Kallum Watkins
• ITA Chris Centrone
• ITA Aidan Guerra
• ITA Ray Nasso
• NZL Simon Mannering
• NZL Frank-Paul Nu'uausala
• NZL Dean Whare
• SAM Suaia Matagi
• SAM Ben Roberts
• SAM Pita Godinet
• SCO Alex Hurst
• SCO Ben Hellewell
• TON Glen Fisiiahi
• TON Sika Manu
• TON Willie Manu
• USA Clint Newton
• USA Joseph Paulo
• USA Matt Petersen
• USA Tui Samoa
• WAL Rhodri Lloyd

;1 try

• AUS Michael Jennings
• AUS Luke Lewis
• AUS Josh Morris
• AUS Cameron Smith
• CKI Daniel Fepuleai
• CKI Jonathan Ford
• CKI Isaac John
• CKI Drury Low
• CKI Keith Lulia
• CKI Lulia Lulia
• CKI Brad Takairangi
• ENG George Burgess
• ENG Rob Burrow
• ENG Rangi Chase
• ENG Leroy Cudjoe
• ENG Ben Westwood
• FRA Thomas Bosc
• FRA Vincent Duport
• FRA Morgan Escare
• FIJ Aaron Groom
• FIJ Kevin Naiqama
• FIJ Wes Naiqama
• FIJ Semi Radradra
• FIJ Vitale Junior Roqica
• FIJ Korbin Sims
• FIJ Tariq Sims
• FIJ Eloni Vunakece
• IRE Damien Blanch
• IRE James Hasson
• IRE Tyrone McCarthy
• ITA Cameron Ciraldo
• ITA Josh Mantellato
• ITA Anthony Minichiello
• ITA Mark Minichiello
• ITA James Tedesco
• NZL Jesse Bromwich
• NZL Greg Eastwood
• NZL Josh Hoffman
• NZL Krisnan Inu
• NZL Isaac Luke
• NZL Frank Pritchard
• NZL Elijah Taylor
• PNG Josiah Abavu
• PNG Dion Aiye
• PNG Wellington Albert
• PNG Nene MacDonald
• PNG Jessie Joe Parker
• SAM Joseph Leilua
• SAM Penani Manumeasili
• SAM Anthony Milford
• SAM Junior Moors
• SAM Sauaso Sue
• SAM Daniel Vidot
• SCO Danny Addy
• SCO Brett Carter
• SCO Luke Douglas
• SCO Ben Fisher
• SCO Kane Linnett
• SCO Brett Phillips
• TON Daniel Foster
• TON Konrad Hurrell
• TON Nafe Seluini
• TON Jorge Taufua
• TON Jason Taumalolo
• TON Peni Terepo
• USA Bureta Faraimo
• USA Kristian Freed
• USA Mark Offerdahl
• USA Craig Priestley
• USA Taylor Welch
• WAL Ben Evans
• WAL Elliot Kear
• WAL Lloyd White
• WAL Rob Massam
• WAL Anthony Walker

Attendances

Seven grounds achieved sell-out crowds, with four setting stadium records. Games held in both Wales and Ireland were watched by the biggest crowds ever for rugby league internationals in those countries. The final was played in front of the largest crowd ever to attend an international rugby league fixture.

Broadcasting

• The BBC and Premier Sports jointly televised seven live matches with the remaining 21 live matches exclusive to Premier Sports. The jointly live matches were England's Group A matches (BBC One), an inter-group match between Wales and Italy and a quarter-final (both on BBC Two), a semi-final and the final (both on BBC One). The jointly televised quarter-final and semi-final involved England.

References

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