| 2000 Rugby League World Cup |
Article Index for 2000 |
Website Links For 2000 |
Information About2000 Rugby League World Cup |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT 2000 RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP | |
| rugby league world cup | |
| 2000 in rugby league | |
| world | |
| 2000 in the united kingdom | |
| rugby | |
| 2000 in france | |
|
The 2000 World Cup was not considered a great success. There were too many mismatches in the early stages, and some of the teams lacked credibility. Notably the inclusion of a side representing New Zealand ’s Māori population alongside the full New Zealand Squad , and a Lebanon Side consisting entirely of Australians of Lebanese origin, led to derisory comments in the media. Due to these reasons crowds at the tournament were low; also torrential rainstorms and the crisis on Britain’s Railways following the Hatfield Rail Crash did not help encourage spectators. The tournament accumulated a mere £2m, and the RFL went into debt from which it did not recover until 2004. There were however some positives: The French performed creditably, and attendance for the games held in France was encouraging. The much derided Lebanon team also proved the catalyst for domestic competition in That Country . On the competition side of things, Australia and New Zealand cut a swathe through the tournament, with several dominant performances setting up an obvious final clash. New Zealand 's 49-6 semi-final dispatch of England , coupled with Australia only hitting the lead in their semi-final against Wales with 23 minutes remaining, had New Zealand installed as favourites in some quarters. However, it was Australia who prevailed in a tense, absorbing finale. Australia only led 18-12 with 15 minutes remaining, but a glut of first-half possession saw them finish strongly - scoring four late tries to give the appearance of an easy victory. QUALIFYING Pool One - Mediterranean
Pool Two - Pacific Rim
Final Standings Playoff Lebanon 62 - 8 USA GROUP 1 Results
Final standings GROUP 2 Results
Final standings GROUP 3 Results
Final standings GROUP 4 Results Final standings QUARTER-FINALS
SEMI-FINALS
FINAL
|
|
|