The 2017 Rugby League World Cup was the fifteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup tournament and took place in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea between 27 October and 2 December 2017. The tournament featured the national teams of 14 Rugby League International Federation member countries who qualified through either standing in the previous tournament or a series of qualification play-off matches. In the final, defending champions Australia, playing in their 14th consecutive final, defeated England at Brisbane's Lang Park.
| 2017 Rugby League World Cup | |
|---|---|
| Number of teams | 14 |
| Host countries | Australia New Zealand Papua New Guinea |
| Winner | Australia (11th title) |
| Matches played | 28 |
| Attendance | 382,080 (13,646 per match) |
| Points scored | 1264 (45.14 per match) |
| Tries scored | 230 (8.21 per match) |
| Top scorer | Cameron Smith (50) |
| Top try scorer | Valentine Holmes (12) |
Tournaments < 2013 2021 > | |
Host selection
At the 2010 Rugby League International Federation executive meeting, the New Zealand Rugby League made an early submission to co-host the 2017 tournament with Australia. The Rugby League World Cup was last held in Australia in 2008.
Two formal bids were subsequently received by the RLIF before a November 2012 deadline; the co-host bid from Australia and New Zealand and a bid from South Africa. On 19 February 2014, it was announced that the joint bid from Australia and New Zealand had won hosting rights.
Michael Brown, the CEO of several big name Australian sporting franchises and the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, was originally appointed CEO of the World Cup in 2015, but resigned less than a year later due to 'workload' and 'homesickness'. He was replaced by Andrew Hill.
Teams
Qualification
It was announced on 3 August 2014 that 7 of the 8 quarter-finalists from the last World Cup would qualify automatically for the 2017 tournament; hosts Australia and New Zealand, plus England, Fiji, France, Samoa and Scotland. The USA, who were also 2013 quarter-finalists, were denied automatic qualification after a long-running internal governance dispute saw their RLIF membership temporarily suspended in 2014; later, once the matter was resolved, they were accepted into the qualification process. Papua New Guinea were initially set to be involved in the qualifying competition but were later granted automatic qualification, due to becoming co-hosts of the tournament. In addition to the eight automatic qualifiers, the remaining six spots will come from four different qualification zones; three from Europe, one from Asia/Pacific, one from Americas and one from Middle East/Africa.
Tonga were the first team to qualify from the qualification stage after winning the Asian-Pacific play-off. Lebanon were the second team to qualify from the qualification stage, after winning the Middle East-African play-off. The USA were the third team to qualify, winning the Americas qualification group.
| Team | Captain | Coach | Previous Apps | Previous best result | Qualification method | World Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Cameron Smith | Mal Meninga | 14 | Champions (10 times) | Co-hosts | 1 |
| England | Sean O'Loughlin | Wayne Bennett | 5 | Runners-up (1975, 1995) | Automatic | 3 |
| Fiji | Kevin Naiqama | Mick Potter | 4 | Semi-finals (2008, 2013) | Automatic | 7 |
| France | Théo Fages | Aurélien Cologni | 14 | Runners-up (1954, 1968) | Automatic | 6 |
| Ireland | Liam Finn | Mark Aston | 3 | Quarter-finals (2000, 2008) | Europe 2 | 8 |
| Italy | Mark Minichiello | Cameron Ciraldo | 1 | Group stage (2013) | Europe play-off | 12 |
| Lebanon | Robbie Farah | Brad Fittler | 1 | Group stage (2000) | Middle East-Africa play-off | 18 |
| New Zealand | Adam Blair | David Kidwell | 14 | Champions (2008) | Co-hosts | 2 |
| Papua New Guinea | David Mead | Michael Marum | 6 | Quarter-finals (2000) | Co-hosts | 16 |
| Samoa | Frank Pritchard | Matt Parish | 4 | Quarter-finals (2000, 2013) | Automatic | 5 |
| Scotland | Danny Brough | Steve McCormack | 3 | Quarter-finals (2013) | Automatic | 4 |
| Tonga | Sika Manu | Kristian Woolf | 4 | Group stage (1995, 2000, 2008, 2013) | Asia-Pacific play-off | 11 |
| United States | Mark Offerdahl | Brian McDermott | 1 | Quarter-finals (2013) | Americas play-off | 10 |
| Wales | Craig Kopczak | John Kear | 4 | Semi-finals (1995, 2000) | Europe 1 | 9 |
Draw
The draw was undertaken at the launch of the event in Auckland on 19 July 2016 and involved the same four group format as the 2013 tournament. The first two groups are made up of four teams whilst the other two groups feature three teams each. The top three teams in the first two groups and the winners of the two smaller groups will qualify for the quarter-finals. Group play will involve 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 will play three group games.
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|
Squads
Each team submitted a squad of twenty-four players for the tournament, the same as the 2013 tournament.
Venues
It was announced in October 2014 that negotiations were being held for Papua New Guinea to host matches. The Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League presented to the RLIF in September 2015, requesting to host three matches. In October 2015 it was confirmed that Papua New Guinea would host three matches in the group stage.
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in Melbourne hosted the opening game between Australia and England included an Aboriginal selection and a New Zealand Mãori side. and while Brisbane Stadium in Brisbane hosted the World Cup final.
Australia
| Brisbane | Sydney | Melbourne | Townsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane Stadium | Sydney Football Stadium | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium | Townsville Stadium |
| Capacity: 52,500 | Capacity: 45,500 | Capacity: 30,050 | Capacity: 26,500 |
| Townsville Brisbane Cairns Darwin Sydney Canberra Melbourne Perth | |||
| Canberra | Perth | Cairns | Darwin |
| Canberra Stadium | Perth Rectangular Stadium | Barlow Park | Darwin Stadium |
| Capacity: 25,011 | Capacity: 20,500 | Capacity: 18,000 | Capacity: 12,000 |
New Zealand
| Wellington | Auckland | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Wellington Regional Stadium | Mount Smart Stadium | ||
| Capacity: 34,500 | Capacity: 30,000 | ||
| Wellington Auckland Christchurch Hamilton | |||
| Hamilton | Christchurch | ||
| Waikato Stadium | Christchurch Stadium | ||
| Capacity: 25,800 | Capacity: 18,000 | ||
Papua New Guinea
| Port Moresby |
|---|
| National Football Stadium |
| Capacity: 14,800 |
Port Moresby |
Officiating
The match officials will be headed by Tony Archer and three coaches: Steve Ganson, Russell Smith and Luke Watts.
- Australia: Grant Atkins, Chris Butler, Matt Cecchin, Steve Chiddy, Ben Cummins, Adam Gee, Ashley Klein, Jared Maxwell, David Munro, Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski, Belinda Sleeman, Jon Stone, Bernard Sutton, Chris Sutton, Gerard Sutton, Michael Wise
- England: Phil Bentham, James Child, Mark Craven, Robert Hicks, Chris Kendall, Scott Mikalauskas, Liam Moore, Tim Roby, Ben Thaler
- New Zealand: Chris McMillan, Henry Perenara
Warm-up matches
Group stage
The first two groups are made up of four teams whilst the other two groups feature three teams each. The top three teams in the Group A and B, and the winners of Group C and D will qualify for the quarter-finals. Group play will involve 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 will play three group games.
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia (H) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 10 | +94 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | England | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 69 | 34 | +35 | 4 | |
| 3 | Lebanon | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 81 | −42 | 2 | |
| 4 | France | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 117 | −87 | 0 |
(H) Hosts
27 October 2017 20:00 AEDT (UTC+11) |
| Australia | 18–4 | England |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Gillett (23') 1 Slater (29') 1 Dugan (79') 1 Goals: Smith 3/4 (25', 76' pen, 80') | Report | Tries: 1 (5') McGillvary Goals: 0/1 Widdop |
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne Attendance: 22,724 Referee: Matt Cecchin (Australia) Player of the Match: Billy Slater (Australia) |
29 October 2017 16:00 AEDT (UTC+11) |
| France | 18–29 | Lebanon |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Ader (16', 52') 2 Cardace (68') 1 Goals: Barthau 3/4 (20' pen, 53', 69') | Report | Tries: 2 (40', 80') Robinson 1 (8') Layoun 1 (63') Doueihi 1 (76') Moses Goals: 4/5 Moses (9', 40', 64', 77') Field Goals: 1 (74') Moses |
Canberra Stadium, Canberra Attendance: 5,492 Referee: Gerard Sutton (Australia) Player of the Match: Mitchell Moses (Lebanon) |
3 November 2017 20:00 AEDT (UTC+11) |
| Australia | 52–6 | France |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Graham (12', 15', 31', 66') 4 Munster (43', 74') 2 Dugan (33') 1 Frizell (49') 1 Slater (52') 1 Holmes (78') 1 Goals: Smith 6/8 (16', 32', 44', 51', 53', 67') Munster 0/2 | Report | Tries: 1 (24') Kheirallah Goals: 1/1 Marginet (25') |
Canberra Stadium, Canberra Attendance: 12,293 Referee: Robert Hicks (England) Player of the Match: Wade Graham (Australia) |
4 November 2017 20:00 AEDT (UTC+11) |
| England | 29–10 | Lebanon |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Watkins (9') 1 McGillvary (25') 1 Hall (28') 1 Currie (32') 1 T. Burgess (56') 1 Goals: Widdop 4/5 (11', 26', 33', 57') Field Goals: Widdop (80') 1 | Report | Tries: 1 (18') Kassis 1 (76') Wehbe Goals: 1/2 Moses (19') |
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 10,237 Referee: Ben Thaler (England) Player of the Match: Josh Hodgson (England) |
11 November 2017 20:00 AEDT (UTC+11) |
| Australia | 34–0 | Lebanon |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Munster (9', 50') 2 Maloney (25') 1 Cordner (55') 1 Gagai (76') 1 T. Trbojevic (79') 1 Goals: Maloney 4/4 (52', 56', 78', 80') Smith 1/2 (26') | Report |
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 21,127 Referee: James Child (England) Player of the Match: Reagan Campbell-Gillard (Australia) |
12 November 2017 18:00 AWST (UTC+8) |
| England | 36–6 | France |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: McGillvary (42', 64') 2 Widdop (3') 1 Ratchford (6') 1 Graham (9') 1 Percival (23') 1 Bateman (29') 1 Goals: Widdop 4/7 (4', 7', 10', 43') | Report | Tries: 1 (34') Garcia Goals: 1/1 Albert (35') |
Perth Rectangular Stadium, Perth Attendance: 14,744 Referee: Phil Bentham (England) Player of the Match: Gareth Widdop (England) |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonga | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 110 | 44 | +66 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | New Zealand (H) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 134 | 42 | +92 | 4 | |
| 3 | Samoa | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 40 | 84 | −44 | 1 | |
| 4 | Scotland | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 24 | 138 | −114 | 1 |
(H) Hosts
28 October 2017 20:10 NZDT (UTC+13) |
| New Zealand | 38–8 | Samoa |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Jordan Rapana (4') 1 Shaun Johnson (20') 1 Brad Takairangi (46') 1 Kodi Nikorima (52') 1 Issac Liu (55') 1 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (68') 1 Nelson Asofa-Solomona (72') 1 Goals: Shaun Johnson 5/7 (21', 53', 56', 69', 73') | Report | Tries: 1 (37') Ken Maumalo 1 (80') Joseph Paulo Goals: 0/1 Peter Matautia 0/1 Tim Lafai |
Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland Attendance: 17,857 Referee: James Child (England) Player of the Match: Joseph Tapine (New Zealand) |
29 October 2017 16:15 AEDT (UTC+10) |
| Scotland | 4–50 | Tonga |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Danny Addy (62') 1 Goals: Danny Brough 0/1 | Report | Tries: 3 (3', 20', 40') Michael Jennings 2 (26', 73') Daniel Tupou 1 (17') Jason Taumalolo 1 (23') Sika Manu 1 (38') Peni Terepo 1 (76') Ata Hingano Goals: 6/7 Sio Siua Taukeiaho (4', 19', 21', 24', 75', 78') 1/2 Ata Hingano (40') |
Barlow Park, Cairns Attendance: 9,216 Referee: Phil Bentham (England) Player of the Match: Jason Taumalolo (Tonga) |
4 November 2017 17:00 NZDT (UTC+13) |
| New Zealand | 74–6 | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Te Maire Martin (32', 52', 76') 3 Pita Hiku (39', 58', 69') 3 Jason Nightingale (13', 23') 2 Kenny Bromwich (9') 1 Joseph Tapine (16') 1 Russell Packer (43') 1 Dean Whare (55') 1 Shaun Johnson (61') 1 Elijah Taylor (79') 1 Goals: Shaun Johnson 9/14 (11', 33', 44', 53', 56', 60', 63', 70', 80') | Report | Tries: 1 (72') Oscar Thomas Goals: 1/1 Danny Addy (73') |
Christchurch Stadium, Christchurch Attendance: 12,130 Referee: Henry Perenara (New Zealand) Player of the Match: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (New Zealand) |
4 November 2017 19:30 NZDT (UTC+13) |
| Samoa | 18–32 | Tonga |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Jazz Tevaga (17') 1 Ben Roberts (65') 1 Tim Lafai (73') 1 Goals: Tim Lafai 3/3 (18', 66', 74') | Report | Tries: 2 (10', 29') Michael Jennings 1 (52') Peni Terepo 1 (60') Ben Murdoch-Masila 1 (77') Manu Ma'u Goals: 4/4 Sio Siua Taukeiaho (11', 28' pen, 30', 79') 2/2 Ata Hingano (53', 61') |
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton Attendance: 18,156 Referee: Ben Cummins (Australia) Player of the Match: Andrew Fifita (Tonga) |
11 November 2017 17:00 NZDT (UTC+13) |
| New Zealand | 22–28 | Tonga |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (39', 72') 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (21') 1 Jordan Rapana (28') 1 Goals: Shaun Johnson 3/4 (30', 40', 73') | Report | Tries: 3 (48', 59', 77') David Fusitu'a 1 (62') Tuimoala Lolohea 1 (65') William Hopoate Goals: 3/4 Sio Siua Taukeiaho (7' pen, 63', 66') 1/2 Tuimoala Lolohea (60') |
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton Attendance: 24,041 Referee: Gerard Sutton (Australia) Player of the Match: Tuimoala Lolohea (Tonga) |
11 November 2017 17:00 AEDT (UTC+10) |
| Samoa | 14–14 | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Junior Paulo (12') 1 Matthew Wright (49') 1 Young Tonumaipea (66') 1 Goals: Matthew Wright 1/3 (13') | Report | Tries: 1 (5') Lewis Tierney 1 (28') Frankie Mariano Goals: 3/4 Danny Addy (6', 18' pen, 30') |
Barlow Park, Cairns Attendance: 4,309 Referee: Ashley Klein (Australia) Player of the Match: Danny Addy (Scotland) |
Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Papua New Guinea (H) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 128 | 12 | +116 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Ireland | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 76 | 32 | +44 | 4 | |
| 3 | Wales | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 156 | −138 | 0 |
(H) Hosts
28 October 2017 15:00 AEDT (UTC+10) |
| Papua New Guinea | 50–6 | Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: David Mead (5', 10', 60') 3 Rhyse Martin (43', 53') 2 Nene Macdonald (23') 1 Kato Ottio (34') 1 Wellington Albert (38') 1 Justin Olam (56') 1 Paul Aiton (71') 1 Goals: Rhyse Martin 5/8 (24', 36', 39', 44', 72') Ase Boas 0/2 | Report | Tries: 1 (80') Regan Grace Goals: 1/1 Courtney Davies (80') |
National Football Stadium, Port Moresby Attendance: 14,800 Referee: Ben Cummins (Australia) Player of the Match: David Mead (Papua New Guinea) |
5 November 2017 16:00 AEDT (UTC+10) |
| Papua New Guinea | 14–6 | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Garry Lo (16') 1 Nene Macdonald (26') 1 Watson Boas (78') 1 Goals: Ase Boas 1/1 (79') Rhyse Martin 0/2 | Report | Tries: 1 (5') Michael McIlorum Goals: 1/1 Liam Finn (6') |
National Football Stadium, Port Moresby Attendance: 14,800 Referee: Matt Cecchin (Australia) Player of the Match: Garry Lo (Papua New Guinea) |
12 November 2017 15:30 AWST (UTC+8) |
| Wales | 6–34 | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Ben Morris (57') 1 Goals: Courtney Davies 1/1 (59') | Report | Tries: 2 (34', 66') Oliver Roberts 1 (8') Api Pewhairangi 1 (34') Joe Philbin 1 (39') Liam Finn 1 (74') Liam Kay Goals: 5/6 Liam Finn (9', 32', 35', 67', 76') |
Perth Rectangular Stadium, Perth Attendance: 14,744 Referee: Ben Thaler (England) Player of the Match: Oliver Roberts (Ireland) |
Group D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fiji | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 168 | 28 | +140 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Italy | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 68 | 74 | −6 | 2 | |
| 3 | United States | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 168 | −156 | 0 |
28 October 7:40pm (AEST) |
| Fiji | 58–12 | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Taane Milne (3', 11') 2 Kevin Naiqama (7', 30') 2 Suliasi Vunivalu (35', 64') 2 Akuila Uate (14') 1 Kane Evans (17') 1 Jarryd Hayne (46') 1 Viliame Kikau (60') 1 Henry Raiwalui (66') 1 Goals: Apisai Koroisau 5/8 (8', 13', 18', 31', 47') Taane Milne 2/3 (61', 68') | Report | Tries: 1 (21') Matt Shipway 1 (72') Junior Vaivai Goals: 2/2 Bureta Fariamo (22', 74') |
Townsville Stadium, Townsville Attendance: 5,103 Referee: Henry Perenara (New Zealand) Player of the Match: Kevin Naiqama (Fiji) |
5 November 4:00pm (AEST) |
| Italy | 46–0 | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Joey Tramontana (8', 37') 2 James Tedesco (14', 43') 2 Josh Mantellato (18') 1 Ryan Ghietti (25') 1 Paul Vaughan (59') 1 Mason Cerruto (73') 1 Goals: Josh Mantellato 7/8 (9', 16', 26', 38', 45', 60', 74') | Report |
Townsville Stadium, Townsville Attendance: 7,732 Referee: Ashley Klein (Australia) Player of the Match: Joey Tramontana (Italy) |
10 November 7:40pm (AEDT) |
| Fiji | 38–10 | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Suliasi Vunivalu (60', 63', 68') 3 Kevin Naiqama (28') 1 Henry Raiwalui (40') 1 Brayden Wiliame (54') 1 Marcelo Montoya (75') 1 Goals: Apisai Koroisau 3/4 (29', 40', 61') Taane Milne 2/3 (64', 69') Sin Bins: Jarryd Hayne (34') | Report | Tries: 1 (20') Josh Mantellato 1 (43') Nathan Milone Goals: 1/2 Josh Mantellato (44') Sin Bins: (12') Jayden Walker (34') Joey Tramontana |
Canberra Stadium, Canberra Attendance: 6,733 Referee: Robert Hicks (England) Player of the Match: Apisai Koroisau (Fiji) |
Inter-group matches
29 October 2017 14:00 AEDT (UTC+10) |
| Ireland | 36–12 | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Liam Kay (3', 30') 2 George King (10') 1 Kyle Amor (55') 1 Michael Morgan (60') 1 Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook (79') 1 Goals: Liam Finn 6/7 (4', 11', 18' pen, 31', 56', 61') | Report | Tries: 1 (38') Justin Castellaro 1 (47') Nathan Milone Goals: 2/2 Josh Mantellato (39', 48') |
Barlow Park, Cairns Attendance: 9,216 Referee: Grant Atkins (Australia) Player of the Match: Liam Finn (Ireland) |
5 November 2017 18:30 AEDT (UTC+10) |
| Fiji | 72–6 | Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Suliasi Vunivalu (14', 51', 61') 3 Viliame Kikau (22', 40') 2 Taane Milne (31', 56') 2 Eloni Vunakece (6') 1 Henry Raiwalui (16') 1 Salesi Fainga'a (27') 1 Marcelo Montoya (33') 1 Jarryd Hayne (42') 1 Joe Lovodua (65') 1 Ben Nakubuwai (70') 1 Goals: Apisai Koroisau 4/7 (7', 17', 23', 28') Taane Milne 3/5 (40', 43', 52') Suliasi Vunivalu 1/2 (66') | Report | Tries: 1 (11') Morgan Knowles Goals: 1/1 Courtney Davies (12') |
Townsville Stadium, Townsville Attendance: 7,732 Referee: Chris Kendall (England) Player of the Match: Akuila Uate (Fiji) |
12 November 2017 15:00 AEDT (UTC+10) |
| Papua New Guinea | 64–0 | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Justin Olam (12', 66', 75') 3 Lachlan Lam (8', 16') 2 James Segeyaro (14') 1 Rod Griffin (25') 1 Stargroth Amean (39') 1 David Mead (42') 1 Watson Boas (60') 1 Nene Macdonald (63') 1 Goals: Rhyse Martin 10/11 (10', 15', 18', 26', 40', 44', 62', 65', 68', 77') | Report |
National Football Stadium, Port Moresby Attendance: 14,800 Referee: Adam Gee (Australia) Player of the Match: Lachlan Lam (Papua New Guinea) |
Knockout stage
Three teams from each of Groups A and B and one team from each of Groups C and D advanced to the quarter-finals. All quarter-finalists automatically qualified for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. The quarter-final fixture were finalised at the conclusion of the pool stages, to ensure that Australia played in Darwin on 17 November and New Zealand in Wellington on 18 November.
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 17 November – Darwin | ||||||||||
| Australia | 46 | |||||||||
| 24 November – Brisbane | ||||||||||
| Samoa | 0 | |||||||||
| Australia | 54 | |||||||||
| 18 November – Wellington | ||||||||||
| Fiji | 6 | |||||||||
| New Zealand | 2 | |||||||||
| 2 December – Brisbane | ||||||||||
| Fiji | 4 | |||||||||
| Australia | 6 | |||||||||
| 18 November – Christchurch | ||||||||||
| England | 0 | |||||||||
| Tonga | 24 | |||||||||
| 25 November – Auckland | ||||||||||
| Lebanon | 22 | |||||||||
| Tonga | 18 | |||||||||
| 19 November – Melbourne | ||||||||||
| England | 20 | |||||||||
| England | 36 | |||||||||
| Papua New Guinea | 6 | |||||||||
Quarter-finals
Australia vs Samoa
17 November 2017 19:00 ACST (UTC+9:30) |
| Australia | 46–0 | Samoa |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Holmes (9', 17', 51', 57', 74') 5 Morgan (31', 36') 2 Slater (24') 1 Goal: Smith 7/8 (10', 19', 26', 33', 38', 53', 58') |
Darwin Stadium, Darwin Attendance: 13,473 Referee: Phil Bentham (England) Player of the Match: Valentine Holmes (Australia) |
Tonga vs Lebanon
18 November 2017 17:00 NZDT (UTC+13) |
| Tonga | 24–22 | Lebanon |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Fusitu'a (19', 33') 2 Lolohea (4') 1 Hopoate (23') 1 Goal: Hingano 4/5 (5', 24', 34', 53' pen) | Tries: 2 (40', 69') Miski 1 (9') Doueihi 1 (30') Elias Goals: 3/4 Moses (10', 31', 70') |
Christchurch Stadium, Christchurch Attendance: 8,309 Referee: Gerard Sutton (Australia) Player of the Match: Mitchell Moses (Lebanon) |
New Zealand vs Fiji
18 November 2017 19:30 NZDT (UTC+13) |
| New Zealand | 2–4 | Fiji |
|---|---|---|
| Goals: Johnson 1/1 (45' pen) | Goals: 1/1 Koroisau (15' pen) 1/1 Milne (62' pen) |
Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington Attendance: 12,713 Referee: Matt Cecchin (Australia) Player of the Match: Kevin Naiqama (Fiji) |
England vs Papua New Guinea
19 November 2017 16:00 AEDT (UTC+11) |
| England | 36–6 | Papua New Guinea |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: McGillvary (13', 20') 2 Watkins (68', 72') 2 Walmsley (33') 1 Currie (56') 1 Hall (79') 1 Goals: Widdop 4/7 (34', 57', 69', 80') | Tries: 1 (60') Lo Goals: 1/1 Martin (61') |
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne Attendance: 10,563 Referee: James Child (England) Player of the Match: Jermaine McGillvary (England) |
Semi-finals
Australia vs Fiji
24 November 2017 19:00 AEST (UTC+10) |
| Australia | 54–6 | Fiji |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Holmes (18', 24', 42', 51', 65', 75') 6 Gagai (31', 69') 2 Slater (14', 48') 2 Goals: Smith 7/10 (15', 19', 33', 43', 49', 53', 67') | Tries: 1 (59') Vunivalu Goals: 1/2 Koroisau (7' pen) |
Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane Attendance: 22,073 Referee: Gerard Sutton (Australia) Player of the Match: Cameron Smith (Australia) |
Tonga vs England
25 November 2017 18:00 NZDT (UTC+13) |
| Tonga | 18–20 | England |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Pangai Junior (73') 1 Havili (76') 1 Lolohea (77') 1 Goals: Taukeiaho 3/3 (73', 76, 77') | Tries: 1 (11') McGillvary 1 (16') Widdop 1 (68') Bateman Goals: 4/4 Widdop (12, 17, 50 pen, 69) |
Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland Attendance: 30,003 Referee: Matt Cecchin (Australia) Player of the Match: Gareth Widdop (England) |
Final: Australia vs England
Statistics
Top try scorers
- 12 tries
- Valentine Holmes
- 9 tries
- Suliasi Vunivalu
- 7 tries
- Jermaine McGillvary
- 5 tries
- Billy Slater
- David Fusitu'a
- Michael Jennings
- 4 tries
- Dane Gagai
- Wade Graham
- Cameron Munster
- Taane Milne
- David Mead
- Justin Olam
- 3 tries
- Kallum Watkins
- Viliame Kikau
- Kevin Naiqama
- Henry Raiwalui
- Liam Kay
- Nene Macdonald
- Peta Hiku
- Te Maire Martin
- Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
- Tuimoala Lolohea
- 2 tries
- Boyd Cordner
- Josh Dugan
- Michael Morgan
- John Bateman
- Gareth Widdop
- Jarryd Hayne
- Marcelo Montoya
- Bastien Ader
- Oliver Roberts
- James Tedesco
- Joseph Tramontana
- Adam Doueihi
- Abbas Miski
- Travis Robinson
- Shaun Johnson
- Jason Nightingale
- Jordan Rapana
- Watson Boas
- Lachlan Lam
- Garry Lo
- Rhyse Martin
- Will Hopoate
- Peni Terepo
- Daniel Tupou
- 1 try
- Tyson Frizell
- Tom Trbojevic
- Matt Gillett
- Tom Burgess
- Ben Currie
- James Graham
- Ryan Hall
- Mark Percival
- Stefan Ratchford
- Alex Walmsley
- Kane Evans
- Salesi Junior Fainga'a
- Joe Lovodua
- Ben Nakubuwai
- Brayden Wiliame
- Akuila Uate
- Eloni Vunakece
- Damien Cardace
- Benjamin Garcia
- Mark Kheirallah
- Kyle Amor
- Liam Finn
- George King
- Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook
- Michael McIlorum
- Michael Morgan
- Api Pewhairangi
- Joe Philbin
- Justin Castellaro
- Mason Cerruto
- Ryan Ghietti
- Josh Mantellato
- Nathan Milone
- Paul Vaughan
- Anthony Layoun
- James Elias
- Nick Kassis
- Mitchell Moses
- Jason Wehbe
- Nelson Asofa-Solomona
- Kenny Bromwich
- Issac Liu
- Kodi Nikorima
- Russell Packer
- Brad Takairangi
- Joseph Tapine
- Elijah Taylor
- Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
- Dean Whare
- Paul Aiton
- Wellington Albert
- James Segeyaro
- Rod Griffin
- Stargroth Amean
- Kato Ottio
- Tim Lafai
- Ken Maumalo
- Joseph Paulo
- Junior Paulo
- Ben Roberts
- Jazz Tevaga
- Young Tonumaipea
- Matthew Wright
- Danny Addy
- Frankie Mariano
- Oscar Thomas
- Lewis Tierney
- Ata Hingano
- Manu Ma'u
- Sika Manu
- Ben Murdoch-Masila
- Jason Taumalolo
- Tevita Pangai Junior
- Siliva Havili
- Matt Shipway
- Junior Vaivai
- Regan Grace
- Morgan Knowles
- Ben Morris
Top point scorers
| Player | Team | App. | Total | Details | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T | G | FG | ||||
| Cameron Smith | Australia | 6 | 50 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Valentine Holmes | Australia | 6 | 48 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Shaun Johnson | New Zealand | 4 | 44 | 2 | 18 | 0 |
| Gareth Widdop | England | 6 | 41 | 2 | 16 | 1 |
| Rhyse Martin | Papua New Guinea | 4 | 40 | 2 | 16 | 0 |
| Suliasi Vunivalu | Fiji | 5 | 38 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Taane Milne | Fiji | 5 | 32 | 4 | 8 | 0 |
| Sio Siua Taukeiaho | Tonga | 4 | 32 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Liam Finn | Ireland | 3 | 28 | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| Apisai Koroisau | Fiji | 5 | 28 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Jermaine McGillvary | England | 6 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Mantellato | Italy | 3 | 28 | 2 | 10 | 0 |
Final standings
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Final result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Australia (H) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 210 | 16 | +194 | 12 | Champions |
| 2 | A | England | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 125 | 64 | +61 | 8 | Runners-up |
| 3 | D | Fiji | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 178 | 84 | +94 | 8 | Eliminated in semi-finals |
| 4 | B | Tonga | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 152 | 86 | +66 | 8 | |
| 5 | C | Papua New Guinea (H) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 134 | 48 | +86 | 6 | Eliminated in quarter-finals |
| 6 | B | New Zealand (H) | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 136 | 46 | +90 | 4 | |
| 7 | A | Lebanon | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 61 | 105 | −44 | 2 | |
| 8 | B | Samoa | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 40 | 130 | −90 | 1 | |
| 9 | C | Ireland | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 76 | 32 | +44 | 4 | Eliminated in group stage |
| 10 | D | Italy | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 68 | 74 | −6 | 2 | |
| 11 | B | Scotland | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 24 | 138 | −114 | 1 | |
| 12 | A | France | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 117 | −87 | 0 | |
| 13 | C | Wales | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 156 | −138 | 0 | |
| 14 | D | United States | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 168 | −156 | 0 |
(H) Hosts
Criticism and controversy
The lack of games in New South Wales, the heartland of rugby league in Australia, drew some criticism. Only one of the 13 confirmed tournament venues was in New South Wales (Sydney Football Stadium) and it is only hosting two group-stage fixtures, both featuring Lebanon. This was due to the refusal of the New South Wales Government to bid for hosting rights. Despite the so-called 'Sydney Cup snub', the RLWC organisers backed their decision and the venues they were using.
In the buildup to the Samoa vs. Tonga game in Hamilton, controversy occurred after fans from both countries were caught having brawls in South Auckland. At least 6 people were arrested from the brawls resulting in a massive security increase for the game. Both teams, celebrities, and police urged fans to calm down. Following the results of the controversial incident, a Tongan Advisory Council member lashed out at organisers, saying that this tournament is poorly organised compared to the 2011 Rugby Union World Cup, mentioning that Rugby Union World Cup organisers engaged with community groups 18 months beforehand, whereas this tournament was "scrambled around".
After Scotland's 68-point thrashing to New Zealand in Christchurch, captain Danny Brough, Sam Brooks, and Jonathan Walker were sent home for violating code of conduct after being all deemed too 'intoxicated' for their team's flight to Cairns for Scotland's next game against Samoa. Italian players James Tedesco and Shannon Wakeman were under investigation by the World Cup integrity unit for a brawl at a Cairns nightclub.
There was criticism on how Samoa and Lebanon qualified for the Quarter-Finals of the World Cup, while Ireland missed out. Samoa played in Pool B where three sides qualify for the finals and only one misses out. Samoa lost to both New Zealand and Tonga, and drew with Scotland. Lebanon was in Pool A which had the same format as Pool B. Lebanon lost to both Australia and England and beat France. Ireland played in Pool C where there are only three teams and the winner is the only team that goes to the finals. Ireland beat both Italy and Wales and only just lost to Papua New Guinea and didn't qualify for the finals. Irish captain Liam Finn, said "I don't know if it's unfair, it probably makes sense, but to me: try and explain that to someone who's not rugby league", "That's how we judge it. I tell someone 'we didn't go through, we won two games; someone got through by drawing one," and "That's where we should be focused: how do we attract new fans when that's how you're explaining the game to them?" in the press conference after his team's victory over Wales.
Broadcasting
Seven Network was the Australian and worldwide host broadcaster, winning the rights for the event in July 2016, beating the likes of Foxtel and Optus.
| Country or region | Broadcaster | Broadcasting | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Seven Network | All 28 matches live (via Channel 7, 7mate, or streamed from the 7Live app) | |
| Austria Germany Switzerland | ProSieben Maxx ran.de | 6 matches live (ProSieben Maxx) All 28 matches live streamed (ran.de) | |
| Germany | Sportdeutschland.TV | All 28 matches live streamed | |
| Fiji | Fiji One | All 28 matches live | |
| France | beIN Sports | All 28 matches live | |
| Hong Kong | PCCW | All 28 matches live | |
| Ireland | eir Sports | All 28 matches live | |
| Japan | DAZN | All 28 matches live | |
| Malaysia | Astro | All 28 matches live | |
| Middle East | OSN Sports | All 28 matches live | |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport | All 28 matches live | |
| Papua New Guinea | EM TV | All 28 matches live | |
| United Kingdom | BBC Sport | All England matches live; Ireland, Wales and Scotland matches delayed; highlights from all 28 matches | |
| Premier Sports | 27 matches Live (Delayed coverage of NZ vs Tonga due to football match) | ||
| United States | Fox Sports | All USA matches and knockout matches live |
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