1989–1992 Rugby League World Cup

Data last verified: 11 August 2026.

1989–1992 Rugby League World Cup ▾

1989–1992 Rugby League World Cup result: Australia won the title, beating Great Britain 10–6 in the final. Hosted by Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand, France & Papua New Guinea.

Full match archive (21 games)

Groups

World Cup Table

TeamPWDLPFPADiffPtsForm
Australia880023668+16816WWW
Great Britain850321579+13610WWL
New Zealand8503203120+8310WLW
France820680247-1674WWL
Papua New Guinea800884304-2200LLL
DateResultVenueAttendance
23 Jul 1989New Zealand 14–22 AustraliaMount Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand15,000
11 Nov 1989Great Britain 10–6 New ZealandCentral Park, Wigan, England20,346
3 Dec 1989France 0–34 New ZealandStade d'Albert Domec, Carcassonne, France4,208
2 Jun 1990Papua New Guinea 8–40 Great BritainLloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea7,837
27 Jun 1990Australia 34–2 FrancePioneer Oval, Parkes, Australia12,384
15 Jul 1990New Zealand 21–18 Great BritainQueen Elizabeth II Park, Christchurch, New Zealand3,133
11 Aug 1990Papua New Guinea 10–18 New ZealandLloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea7,837
24 Nov 1990Great Britain 0–14 AustraliaElland Road, Leeds, England32,500
9 Dec 1990France 10–34 AustraliaStade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan, France3,428
27 Jan 1991France 10–45 Great BritainStade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan, France3,965
23 Jun 1991New Zealand 32–10 FranceAddington Showground, Christchurch, New Zealand2,000
7 Jul 1991Papua New Guinea 18–20 FranceDanny Leahy Oval, Goroka, Papua New Guinea11,485
31 Jul 1991Australia 40–12 New ZealandLang Park, Brisbane, Australia29,139
13 Oct 1991Papua New Guinea 6–40 AustraliaLloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea14,500
9 Nov 1991Great Britain 56–4 Papua New GuineaCentral Park, Wigan, England4,193
24 Nov 1991France 28–14 Papua New GuineaStade d'Albert Domec, Carcassonne, France1,440
7 Mar 1992Great Britain 36–0 FranceThe Boulevard, Kingston-upon-Hull, England5,250
3 Jul 1992Australia 16–10 Great BritainLang Park, Brisbane, Australia32,313
5 Jul 1992New Zealand 66–10 Papua New GuineaMount Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand3,000
15 Jul 1992Australia 36–14 Papua New GuineaTownsville Sports Reserve, Townsville, Australia12,470

Knockout stage

Final

DateResultVenueAttendance
24 Oct 1992Australia 10–6 Great BritainWembley Stadium, London, England73,631

Open this archive on its own page →

Tournament facts

HostAustralia, Great Britain, New Zealand, France & Papua New Guinea
Dates1989–1992 (played over three years)
Teams5
Games played21
Players used249
Average crowd14,289

Teams (5)

Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand, France, Papua New Guinea

Context

The same embedded-in-the-Test-calendar format as 1985-88, repeated for another three-year cycle, with the final again a standalone fixture — this time deliberately switched to Wembley Stadium in London.

Australia went through this second three-year World Cup cycle unbeaten and had already secured their place in the final by 1991. Rather than host it at home, organisers deliberately staged the decider at London's Wembley Stadium to maximise attendance, and it worked spectacularly: 73,631 fans attended, a world record crowd for a rugby league international at the time. Steve Renouf scored the match's only try on his international debut as Australia won 10-6, their fourth consecutive World Cup title. This was also the second and last time the tournament used the Test-calendar-embedded format; the code returned to a conventional standalone tournament from 1995 onward, a switch widely credited to the clarity a single centralised event gave broadcasters and fans alike compared with results scattered across three years. Great Britain reached that Wembley final by edging New Zealand on points difference over the three-year cycle, with coach Mal Reilly naming Garry Schofield as captain and pairing Ellery Hanley in midfield with a pace-focused back line built around wingers Martin Offiah and Alan Hunte. Organisers chose Wembley specifically because no Australian venue could match its roughly 82,000 capacity — domestic Australian grounds topped out between 33,000 and 42,000 at the time — and the gamble on a bigger stage paid off directly in the record crowd that turned up.

Sources

← 1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup1995 Rugby League World Cup →

← All World Cups

← Rugby League · Champions list · All-time records · Grand Final results · All competitions · Venues · Teams · Players