1968 World Cup
| 1968 World Cup | |
|---|---|
| Number of teams | 4 |
| Host countries |
 Australia New Zealand
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| Winner |
Australia (2nd title)
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| Matches played | 7 |
| Attendance | 220,683 (31,526 per match) |
| Points scored | 227 (32.43 per match) |
| Top scorer |
Eric Simms (56) |
| Top try scorers |
Lionel Williamson (4) Ron Coote (4) Clive Sullivan (4) |
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< 1960
1970 >
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The 1968 Rugby League World Cup tournament was the fourth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held in Australia and New Zealand during May and June in 1968. Contested by the men's national rugby league football teams of the two host countries plus Great Britain and France, for the first time a final to determine the World Cup was specifically pre-arranged (previous finals having only been used when teams finished level on points). Financially it was a profitable venture for the competing nations.
The 1968 World Cup was the first to be played under limited tackles rules, the number then being four tackles. The round 1 match between Great Britain and Australia attracted an attendance of 62,256, the highest for a World Cup match until 1992. The final was held at the Sydney Cricket Ground; a crowd of 54,290 watched Australia defeat France. The stars of the Australian team in the tournament were skipper Johnny Raper, second-rower Ron Coote, who scored spectacular tries in each and every game, and the dead-shot kicker Eric Simms, who harvested a record 25 goals (50 points).
France: J Cros; D Pellerin, M Molinier, J Lecompte, A Ferren; Jean Capdouze, R Garrigues; G Ailleres (c), Y Begou, C Sabatie, Francis de Nadai, Henri Marracq, J Clar.
New Zealand: R Tait; R Mincham, H Sinel, P Schultz, E Wiggs; J Bond (c), J Clarke; O Danielson, Colin O'Neil, George Smith, B Lee, J Dixon, A Kriletich; Henry Tatana.
After only twelve minutes, New Zealand second-rower Brian Lee was sent off in a match in which the classy French stand-off Jean Capdouze bagged 13 points. The game was also notable for the first World Cup substitution when Adolphe Alesina replaced second-rower Francis De Nadai.
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