# 2017 Rugby League World Cup
The 2017 [Rugby League World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/rugby-league-world-cup) was the 15th staging of rugby league's international championship, played from 27 October to 2 December 2017 and co-hosted by Australia, New Zealand, and [Papua New Guinea](https://www.edgepedia.org/papua-new-guinea). Australia won the title for the 11th time, beating England 6-0 in the final at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.[1](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-02/rugby-league-world-cup-final-scorecentre/9219618) • [2](https://sevenwestmedia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/RLWC-2017-Media-Kit.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Edition | 15th Rugby League World Cup[2](https://sevenwestmedia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/RLWC-2017-Media-Kit.pdf) |
| Hosts | Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea, after a joint bid beat a South African bid[3](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-19/australia-new-zealand-to-host-rugby-league-world-cup/5270704) |
| Dates | 27 October to 2 December 2017[4](https://www.nrl.com/news/2017/10/05/rugby-league-world-cup-groups--draw/) |
| Teams | 14, with three pool matches staged in Papua New Guinea[5](https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/news/10021409/papua-new-guinea-to-host-world-cup-2017-matches) |
| Champion | Australia, its 11th title and first on home soil since 1977[1](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-02/rugby-league-world-cup-final-scorecentre/9219618) |
| Final | Australia 6-0 England, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, before 40,033 spectators[1](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-02/rugby-league-world-cup-final-scorecentre/9219618) |
| Tournament attendance | 382,587[6](https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/world-cup-2017/summary.html) |
| Leading scorers | Valentine Holmes, 12 tries; Cameron Smith, 50 points[6](https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/world-cup-2017/summary.html) |
## Hosting decision
In February 2014 the Rugby League International Federation awarded the tournament to a joint Australian and New Zealand bid, which beat an ambitious South African bid.[3](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-19/australia-new-zealand-to-host-rugby-league-world-cup/5270704) The joint bid included games in Papua New Guinea, and in 2015 the country was granted co-hosting rights, promising to help stage what its officials called the most exciting World Cup yet.[7](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-08/papua-new-guinea-to-co-host-rugby-league-world-cup-2017/6838012) Papua New Guinea hosted three pool matches, all at the National Football Stadium in [Port Moresby](https://www.edgepedia.org/port-moresby).[5](https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/news/10021409/papua-new-guinea-to-host-world-cup-2017-matches) • [4](https://www.nrl.com/news/2017/10/05/rugby-league-world-cup-groups--draw/) New Zealand's government invested up to $1.35 million through its Major Events Development Fund to support the co-hosting.[8](https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/major-events-fund-invests-rugby-league-world-cup-2017)
## Format and teams
Fourteen teams took part. Australia, England, France, and Lebanon formed [Group A](https://www.edgepedia.org/group-a); New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, and Scotland Group B; and Papua New Guinea, Wales, and Ireland Group C, with Fiji, the United States, and Italy in Group D. Three teams advanced from each of Groups A and B and one team each from Groups C and D, producing eight quarter-finalists.[4](https://www.nrl.com/news/2017/10/05/rugby-league-world-cup-groups--draw/) Italy had taken the 14th and final berth by defeating Russia in a qualifier in Leigh, England.[9](https://europeanrugbyleague.com/media/file/6651/2016%2BAnnual%2BReport.pdf)
The tournament opened in Melbourne on 27 October 2017 with Australia beating England 18-4, repeating England's loss to Australia in the opening match of the 2013 World Cup and extending a wait for a win over the Kangaroos that had lasted 22 years.[10](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-league/australia-vs-england-match-report-sam-burgess-injury-latest-world-cup-result-a8022996.html) • [15](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/oct/27/kangaroos-dig-deep-to-see-off-gutsy-england-in-rugby-league-world-cup-opener) The broadcast drew 1.4 million viewers in Australia, the highest-rating league match that year outside the NRL grand final and State of Origin.[11](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/nov/13/rugby-league-world-cup-has-been-snubbed-in-nrl-obsessed-australia)
## Group stage
Australia topped Group A with three wins and 104 points scored against 10 conceded, with England second and Lebanon third.[6](https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/world-cup-2017/summary.html) [Group B](https://www.edgepedia.org/group-b) produced the tournament's biggest story: Tonga won all three pool matches, finishing above New Zealand, which lost to Tonga and finished second despite a points difference of +92.[6](https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/world-cup-2017/summary.html) Papua New Guinea and Fiji both went unbeaten, topping Groups C and D respectively, Fiji scoring 168 points in three matches.[6](https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/world-cup-2017/summary.html)
## Finals
In the quarter-finals Australia beat Samoa 46-0 in Darwin, Tonga defeated Lebanon 24-22 in [Christchurch](https://www.edgepedia.org/christchurch), Fiji eliminated New Zealand 4-2 in Wellington, and England beat Papua New Guinea 36-6 in Melbourne.[6](https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/world-cup-2017/summary.html) The semi-finals sent Australia past Fiji 54-6 in Brisbane, while England edged Tonga 20-18 in Auckland before a crowd of 30,003, ending Tonga's run one match short of the final.[6](https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/world-cup-2017/summary.html)
**The final.** Australia met England at Suncorp Stadium on 2 December 2017 and won 6-0, retaining the trophy in the closest final in decades. England had reached a World Cup final for the first time in 22 years, and the 40,033 spectators saw Australia hold its 6-0 lead for 65 minutes.[1](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-02/rugby-league-world-cup-final-scorecentre/9219618) • [12](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/dec/02/rugby-league-world-cup-australia-beat-england-in-the-closest-final-in-decades) • [13](https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2017/12/02/report-rlwc-final/) It was Australia's 11th World Cup title, its first on home soil since 1977, and it extended coach [Mal Meninga](https://www.edgepedia.org/mal-meninga)'s unbeaten run to 13 matches.[1](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-02/rugby-league-world-cup-final-scorecentre/9219618)
## Records and significance
The tournament's total attendance was 382,587.[6](https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/world-cup-2017/summary.html) [Valentine Holmes](https://www.edgepedia.org/valentine-holmes) finished as top try-scorer with 12, and Cameron Smith as top point-scorer with 50.[6](https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/world-cup-2017/summary.html) England's Jermaine McGillvary scored seven tries in the tournament, the most noted attacking contribution from a player outside the champion side.[14](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/42207590) Tonga's run to the semi-finals, which included a win over New Zealand, marked the rise of the Pacific nations in international rugby league that later tournaments built on.[6](https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/world-cup-2017/summary.html)
## References
1. [Rugby League World Cup final: Australia beats England 6-0 in tense tournament decider, ABC News](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-02/rugby-league-world-cup-final-scorecentre/9219618)
2. [The Rugby League World Cup – In A Nutshell, Seven West Media media kit](https://sevenwestmedia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/RLWC-2017-Media-Kit.pdf)
3. [Australia and New Zealand to host 2017 Rugby League World Cup, beating ambitious South Africa bid, ABC News](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-19/australia-new-zealand-to-host-rugby-league-world-cup/5270704)
4. [Rugby League World Cup groups & draw, NRL.com](https://www.nrl.com/news/2017/10/05/rugby-league-world-cup-groups--draw/)
5. [Papua New Guinea to host World Cup 2017 matches, Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/news/10021409/papua-new-guinea-to-host-world-cup-2017-matches)
6. [2017 World Cup, Rugby League Project](https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/world-cup-2017/summary.html)
7. [Papua New Guinea to co-host Rugby League World Cup in 2017, ABC News](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-08/papua-new-guinea-to-co-host-rugby-league-world-cup-2017/6838012)
8. [Major Events Fund invests in Rugby League World Cup 2017, Beehive.govt.nz](https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/major-events-fund-invests-rugby-league-world-cup-2017)
9. [2017 Rugby League World Cup Qualifiers, European Rugby League 2016 Annual Report](https://europeanrugbyleague.com/media/file/6651/2016%2BAnnual%2BReport.pdf)
10. [England fall to defeat in World Cup opener as 22-year wait for win over Australia goes on, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-league/australia-vs-england-match-report-sam-burgess-injury-latest-world-cup-result-a8022996.html)
11. [Rugby League World Cup has been snubbed in NRL-obsessed Australia, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/nov/13/rugby-league-world-cup-has-been-snubbed-in-nrl-obsessed-australia)
12. [Australia beat England in closest Rugby League World Cup final in decades, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/dec/02/rugby-league-world-cup-australia-beat-england-in-the-closest-final-in-decades)
13. [Australia Edge England In World Cup Final, NSWRL](https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2017/12/02/report-rlwc-final/)
14. [Rugby League World Cup: Australia beat England 6-0 to retain trophy, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/42207590)
15. [Kangaroos Dig Deep to See Off Gutsy England in Rugby League World Cup Opener, theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/oct/27/kangaroos-dig-deep-to-see-off-gutsy-england-in-rugby-league-world-cup-opener)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › Rugby league international teams and tournaments*
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