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The Tri-Nations is a tournament involving the top three
rugby league nations in the sport: Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain.
It is a relatively new concept, though it can be seen as an extension
of the Rugby League World Cup which was founded in 1954.
 WORLD
CUP
1954 World Cup Champions - Great Britain
Great Britain defeated France 16-12 in the first ever 'Rugby' World Cup
Final, played in Paris. The 1954 World Cup was played in France.
1957 World Cup Champions - Australia
Australia won by virtue of being at the top of the ladder. Followed games
in Sydney and Brisbane, Australia defeating New Zealand 25-5, Great Britain
31-6 and France 26-9.
1960 World Cup Champions - Great Britain
Great Britain won by virtue of being at the top of the ladder. Great Britain
defeated Australia 10-3 at Odsal Stadium in England. Both Great Britain
and Australia were undefeated coming into the match.
1968 World Cup Champions - Australia
Australia defeated France 20-2 in the World Cup Final in Sydney. The 1968
World Cup was played in Australia and New Zealand.
1970 World Cup Champions - Australia
Australia defeated Great Britain 12-7 in the World Cup Final in Leeds.
The 1970 World Cup was played in England.
 1972
World Cup Champions - Great Britain
Great Britain and Australia played a 10-all draw in Lyon, France. Great
Britain were declared World Cup winners by virtue of being undefeated.
1975 World Cup Champions - Australia
Australia won by virtue of being at the top of the ladder, one point ahead
of England. The 1975 World Cup was played in Australia, New Zealand, England,
Wales and France and was spread over the entire year. Great Britain was
divided into the two home nations of England and Wales.
1977 World Cup Champions - Australia
Australia defeated Great Britain 13-12 in the World Cup Final in Sydney.
The 1977 World Cup was played in Australia and New Zealand.
1985-1988 World Cup Champions - Australia
 Australia
defeated New Zealand 25-12 in the World Cup Final in Auckland. Played
internationally over four seasons, the ninth World Cup tournament saw
the introduction of Papua-New Guinea.
1989-1992 World Cup Champions - Australia
Australia defeated Great Britain 10-6 in the World Cup Final in front
of 76,631 people at Wembley Stadium in London.
1995 World Cup Champions - Australia
Australia defeated England 16-8 in the World Cup Final in London. The
1995 World Cup, played in England, saw the introduction of more rugby
league nations as well Great Britain being divided into home nations.
The Australian Rugby League announced that matches played by the Kangaroos
would be given ARL Test match status.
2000 World Cup Champions - Australia
Australia defeated New Zealand 40-12 in the World Cup Final in Manchester.
The 2000 World Cup was played in Great Britain and France. Great Britain
was divided itself into four home nations. A number of new teams were
introduced including NZ Maori and Cook Is. in addition to Lebanon, Russia,
Fiji and South Africa.
The next Rugby League World Cup is scheduled for 2008.
 TRI-NATIONS
The first Tri-Nations competition was held in 1999 in
Australia and New Zealand.
1999 Tri-Nations Champions - Australia
Australia defeated New Zealand 22-20 in the first Tri-Nations Final in
Auckland after New Zealand finished at the top of the ladder standings.
The 1999 Tri-Nations was played in Australia and New Zealand.
2004 Tri-Nations Champions - Australia
Australia defeated Great Britain 44-4 in the Tri-Nations Final at Elland
Road, Leeds after Great Britain finished at the top of the ladder standings.
The 2004 Tri-Nations was played in New Zealand and Great Britain.
 2005
Tri-Nations Champions - New Zealand
New Zealand defeated Australia 24-0 in the Tri-Nations Final at Elland
Road, Leeds after Australia finished at the top of the ladder standings.
The 2004 Tri-Nations was played in Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain.
2006 Tri-Nations Champions - Australia
Australia defeated New Zealand 16-12 in the Tri-Nations
Final at Aussie (Sydney Football) Stadium after Australia finished at
the top of the ladder standings. The 2006 Tri-Nations was played in Australia
and New Zealand.
|
 On
the 29th August, 1895, delegates from the Lancashire and Yorkshire rugby
union clubs met in Hudderfield and formally broke away from the Rugby Union
to form a new and independent Northern Union; the issues of 'broken time'
payments to players (remuneration for lost wages whilst injured) finally
coming to a head.
On 5 April, 1904, an international of sorts was played at Wigan between
England and 'Other Nationalities', a team made up of Welsh and Scottish
players from existing Northern Football Union clubs. In a hastily organised
match, Other Nationalities defeated England 9-3.
The British first played matches against the touring New Zealand team in
1907. Wales and New Zealand played the first ever touring rugby league international
on January 1st 1908 at Aberdare. Wales won the game 9-8 before a crowd of
17,000.
Also in 1908, the first ever Test match took place between Great Britain
and New Zealand on the 18th January at Headingley. Referred to as the 'Northern
Union', Great Britain won the match 14-6. The second Test went to New Zealand
by 18-6 in London. The third Test at Cheltenham was won 8-5 by the visiting
New Zealand side.
The Great Britain Lions continue to compete against the Kiwis for the Baskerville
Shield.
Since 1908 the Lions have competed against Australia for the Rugby League
Ashes, the 'Ashes' name being suggested by the Australians. The first Test
match between the Lions and Kangaroos took place on the 27th September,
1908, in London. The match ended in a 22-all draw. The second Test in January
1909 saw Great Britain win by 15-5 in front of 22,000 people in Newcastle.
The third Test at Aston Villa went to Great Britain by 6-5.
The Lions also play series and tours against other nations such as France
and Papua New Guinea.
Originally represented by England, the Lions are also known sometimes known
as 'Great Britain and Ireland'.
They have won the World Cup on three occasions in 1954, 1960 and 1972. Since
1995, Great Britain and Ireland has divided itself into the home nations
of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland as separate teams for World Cup
purposes.
Great Britain have been playing in the Tri-Nations series since it began
in 1999 and qualified for 2004 Final prior to being being defeated 44-4
by Australia.
 In
1907, a New South Wales team first played against a touring New Zealand
side in Sydney under Rugby Union rules. The gate takings were used to form
the NSWRL.
Since 1908 Australia has battled for the Rugby League Ashes against Great
Britain, the 'Ashes' name being suggested by the Australians. The first
Test match between the Lions and Kangaroos took place on the 27th September,
1908, in London. The match ended in a 22-all draw.
The second Test in January 1909 saw Great Britain winning by 15-5 in front
of a crowd of 22,000 in Newcastle (England). The third Test at Aston Villa
went to Great Britain by 6-5.
Australia are the current holders of the Ashes, the last tour being in 2003.
The Kangaroos have won nine of the 12 World Cups since 1954 and two Tri-Nations
tournaments since 1999.
In 2005, Australia were defeated 24-0 by New Zealand in the Tri-Nations final.
This was the first time Australia had lost a World Cup
or Tri-Nations series since 1972 and the first time Australia had lost a
Test series since 1978.
 New
Zealand rugby league predates the Australian NSWRL.
Formed in mid-1907 by Albert Baskerville, the 'All Golds' (as they were
disparagingly dubbed by rugby union) toured England via Sydney. Playing
'professional rugby' (rugby league) against teams of the Northern Football
Union, Baskerville's Kiwis paved the way for international rugby league.
In 1908, Wales and New Zealand played the first ever rugby league international
tour match on January 1st at Aberdare. Wales won the game 9-8 before a crowd
of 17,000.
Also in 1908, the first ever Test match took place between Great Britain
and New Zealand on the 18th January at Headingley. Referred to as the 'Northern
Union', Great Britain won the match 14-6. The second Test went to New Zealand
by 18-6 in London. The third Test at Cheltenham was won 8-5 by the visiting
New Zealand side.
The New Zealand Kiwis and the Great Britain Lions continue to compete for
the Baskerville Shield.
The Kiwis have featured in two World Cup Finals in 1988 and 2000 as well
as playing in the 1999 Tri-Nations Final.
In 2005, underdogs New Zealand stunned the rugby league community by comprehensively
defeating Australia 24-0 in the Tri-Nations final. |
