2000 RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP OVERVIEW
Host Nations – England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France
Number of Teams – 16
Highest Crowd – 44,329 Manchester, England
Average Crowd – 7,882
Total Crowd – 244,355
2000 World Cup Snapshot – The 2000 World Cup saw an unprecedented 16 teams compete in 4 Pools. Even though the World Cup final attracted over 44,000 spectators, the tournament as a whole was marred by disappointing crowds and lopsided score lines. For all its failings the World Cup did produce some exciting games and provided the launch pad for the domestic competition in Lebanon today. The semi final game between Australia and Wales was a highlight with Wales leading Australia at half time. In the end Australia had won the World Cup for the 9th time beating New Zealand 40-12 in the final at Old Trafford.
2000 Rugby League World Cup Qualifiers – Mediterranean Pool
Game 1: Lebanon 36 – Italy 16
Game 2: Lebanon 104 – Morocco 0
Game 3: Italy 34 – Morocco 0
Mediterranean Pool Table
Pool Table
|
Team
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
PTS
|
|
Lebanon |
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
140
|
16
|
4
|
|
Italy
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
50
|
36
|
2
|
|
Morocco
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
138
|
0
|
Mediterranean Pool Winners: Lebanon
2000 Rugby League World Cup Qualifiers – Pacific Rim Pool
Game 1: United States 54 – Japan 0
Game 2: United States 68 – Canada 0
Game 3: Japan 14 – Canada 0
Pacific Rim Pool Table
|
Team
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
PTS
|
|
United States |
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
122
|
0
|
4
|
|
Japan
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
14
|
54
|
2
|
|
Canada
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
82
|
0
|
Pacific Rim Pool Winners: United States
2000 Rugby League World Cup Qualifiers Playoff
Lebanon 62 – United States 8
2000 Rugby League World Cup Qualifier (16th Team): Lebanon
The six teams involved in the Pre World Cup Qualifiers were playing for the 16th place in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. The winner of the Mediterranean Pool and the Pacific Rim Pool played each other with the winner advancing through to the 2000 Rugby League World Cup
2000 Rugby League World Cup Group Format
The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was played in the Great Britain and France. 16 teams were split up into four groups of four teams.
Group One: Australia, England, Fiji, Russia
Group Two: New Zealand, Wales, Lebanon, Cook Islands
Group Three: Papua New Guinea, France, Tonga, South Africa
Group Four: Ireland, Samoa, NZ Maori, Scotland
2000 Rugby League World Cup Finals Format
The top two teams in each group qualify for the quarter finals. From the quarter finals onwards each game becomes a knockout with the loser bowing out and the winner advancing to the next round. The winners advance to the semi finals. The winner of each semi final play each other in the World Cup Final.
2000 Rugby League World Cup Group One Results
Game 1: Oct 28th Australia 22 – England 2, Location – London, England, Crowd – 33,758
Game 2: Oct 29th Fiji 38 – Russia 12, Location – Barrow, England, Crowd – 2,187
Game 3: Nov 1st Australia 66 – Fiji 8, Location – Gateshead, England, Crowd – 4,197
Game 4: Nov 1st England 76 – Russia 4, Location – St Helens, England, Crowd – 5,736
Game 5: Nov 4th England 66 – Fiji 10, Location – Leeds, England, Crowd – 10,052
Game 6: Nov 4th Australia 110 – Russia 4, Location – Hull, England, Crowd – 3,044
Group One Pool Table
|
Team
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
PTS
|
|
Australia |
3
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
198
|
14
|
6
|
|
England
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
144
|
36
|
4
|
|
Fiji
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
56
|
144
|
2
|
|
Russia
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
20
|
224
|
0
|
Group One Quarter-Final Qualifiers: Australia & England
2000 Rugby League World Cup Group Two Results
Game 1: Oct 29th Wales 38 – Cook Islands 6, Location – Wrexham, Wales, Crowd – 5,060
Game 2: Oct 29th New Zealand 64 – Lebanon 0, Location – Gloucester, England, Crowd – 2,496
Game 3: Nov 2nd New Zealand 84 – Cook Islands 10, Location – Reading, England, Crowd – 3,982
Game 4: Nov 2nd Wales 24 – Lebanon 22, Location – Llanelli, Wales, Crowd – 1,497
Game 5: Nov 5th Cook Islands 22 – Lebanon 22, Location – Cardiff, Wales, Crowd – 5,500
Game 6: Nov 5th New Zealand 58 – Wales 18, Location – Cardiff, Wales, Crowd – 17,612
Group Two Pool Table
|
Team
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
PTS
|
|
New Zealand |
3
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
206
|
28
|
6
|
|
Wales
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
80
|
86
|
4
|
|
Lebanon
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
44
|
110
|
1
|
|
Cook Islands
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
38
|
144
|
1
|
Group Two Quarter-Final Qualifiers: New Zealand & Wales
2000 Rugby League World Cup Group Three Results
Game 1: Oct 28th Papua New Guinea 23 – France 20, Location – Paris, France, Crowd – 7,498
Game 2: Oct 28th Tonga 66 – South Africa 18, Location – Paris, France, Crowd – 7,498
Game 3: Nov 1st France 28 – Tonga 6, Location – Carcassonne, France, Crowd – 10,288
Game 4: Nov 2nd Papua New Guinea 16 – South Africa 0, Location – Toulouse, France, Crowd – 4,313
Game 5: Nov 5th France 56 – South Africa 6, Location – Albi, France, Crowd – 7,969
Game 6: Nov 6th Papua New Guinea 30 – Tonga 22, Location – St Estave, France, Crowd – 3,666
Group three Pool Table
|
Team
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
PTS
|
|
Papua New Guinea |
3
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
69
|
42
|
6
|
|
France
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
104
|
37
|
4
|
|
Tonga
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
96
|
76
|
2
|
|
South Africa
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
24
|
138
|
0
|
Group Three Quarter-Final Qualifiers: Papua New Guinea & France
2000 Rugby League World Cup Group Four Results
Game 1: Oct 28th Ireland 30 – Samoa 16, Location – Belfast, Ireland, Crowd – 3,207
Game 2: Oct 29th Maori 17 – Scotland 16, Location – Glasgow, Scotland, Crowd – 2,008
Game 3: Nov 1st Ireland 18 – Scotland 6, Location – Dublin, Ireland, Crowd – 1,782
Game 4: Nov 1st Samoa 21 – Maori 16, Location – Workington, England, Crowd – 4,107
Game 5: Nov 4th Ireland 30 – Maori 16, Location – Dublin, Ireland, Crowd – 3,164
Game 6: Nov 5th Samoa 20 – Scotland 12, Location – Edinburgh, Scotland, Crowd – 1,579
Group Four Pool Table
|
Team
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
PTS
|
|
Ireland |
3
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
78
|
38
|
6
|
|
Samoa
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
57
|
58
|
4
|
|
Maori
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
49
|
67
|
2
|
|
Scotland
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
34
|
55
|
0
|
Group Four Quarter-Final Qualifiers: Ireland & Samoa
2000 Rugby League World Cup Quarter-Finals
Quarter-Final 1: Nov 11th England 26 – Ireland 16, Location – Headingley, Leeds, England, Crowd – 15,405
Quarter-Final 2: Nov 11th Australia 66 – Samoa 10, Location – Vicarage Road, Watford, England, Crowd – 5,404
Quarter-Final 3: Nov 12th Wales 22 – Papua New Guinea 8, Location – Auto Quest Stadium, Widnes, England, Crowd – 5,211
Quarter-Final 4: Nov 12th New Zealand 54 – France 6, Location – The Jungle, Castleford, England, Crowd – 5,158
2000 Rugby League World Cup Semi-Final Qualifiers: England, Australia, Wales, New Zealand
2000 Rugby League World Cup Semi-Finals
Semi-Final 1: Nov 18th New Zealand 49 – England 6, Location – Reebok Stadium, Bolton, England, Crowd – 16,032
Semi-Final 2: Nov 19th Australia 46 – Wales 22, Location – McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield, England, Crowd – 8,114
2000 Rugby League World Cup Final Qualifiers: New Zealand & Australia
The biggest upset in Rugby League World Cup History nearly took place when Wales were leading Australia at half time in the Semi Final. Once again the Australian’s fitness took hold in the second half and luckly for Australia, Wales could not hold onto their first half lead.
2000 Rugby League World Cup Final
Nov 25th Australia 40 – New Zealand 12, Location – Old Trafford, Manchester, England, Crowd – 44,329
2000 Rugby League World Cup Champions: Australia
The 2000 RLWC saw New Zealand take part in a World Cup Final for only the second time. Played at Manchester all was looking good for the Kiwis with just under 15 minutes remaining. Australia were just ahead by 4 points (18 – 12). Then the Australian’s superior fitness took hold and the Kangaroos ran away with the game.
