Rugby League Tri-Nations
| Rugby League Tri-Nations | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Sport | Rugby league |
| Instituted | 1999 |
| Ceased | 2006 |
| Replaced by | Four Nations |
| Number of teams | 3 |
| Countries |
 Australia New Zealand United Kingdom
|
| Last winners |
Australia (2006)
|
| Most titles |
Australia (3 titles)
|
The Rugby League Tri-Nations (known as the Gillette Tri-Nations for sponsorship reasons) was a rugby league tournament involving the top three teams in the sport: Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand and is the predecessor of today's Rugby League Four Nations.
First contested in 1999 (as the Tri-Series), it is a logical continuation of the format originally used for the Rugby League World Cup in which the best teams in the world play in a round-robin tournament leading to the two top teams contesting a final. The World Cup itself is now contested by a much larger number of nations. Four Tri-Nations tournaments were held before 2009 when the competition was replaced by a Four Nations series.
The tournament has been organised in two different formats. In 1999 each team played the others once, before the top two teams played each other in a final. From 2004 each team has played the others twice before the tournament final. The top two teams are calculated using a league table. Teams receive:
The tournament begins in the middle of October, after the National Rugby League grand final. Australia and New Zealand play each other at this time, and Great Britain enters the tournament after the Super League grand final.
During the tournament, some teams have also played additional Test matches. In the southern hemisphere New Zealand has played Tonga, and in the northern hemisphere Australia and New Zealand have played France.
The first Tri-Nations tournament was held in 1999 in Australia and New Zealand. When the Great Britain team only narrowly defeated the Queensland Cup premiers, the Burleigh Bears, it became apparent that they would not pose a serious threat to the other two teams. Accordingly, a very small crowd attended the Test between the Kangaroos and the Lions at Suncorp Stadium. Fearing a similar crowd for the tournament final, organisers moved that match from Sydney to Auckland. With the Rugby League World Cup being held in 2000, the Tri-nations tournament was put on hold indefinitely.
...
Wikipedia