The 2017 Rugby League World Cup final was a rugby league match to determine the winner of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, played between reigning champions Australia and their rivals England on 2 December 2017 at Brisbane Stadium in Brisbane, immediately after the final of the concurrent women's competition.
Australia became the winners of the Rugby League World Cup for a record eleventh time, beating England 6âÂÂ0 to retain the Paul Barrière Trophy and become the first team since 1977 to win the World Cup on home soil. This match saw a new equal record low for tries in a Rugby League World Cup final with only one try scored, equaling the one try scored in the 1992 final. It also saw the lowest combined score for a final of 6, which was also previously held by the 1992 final where only 16 points was scored. It was the first time in 22 years since England had played in a World Cup final, when they lost to Australia 8âÂÂ16 in the 1995 Rugby League World Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
On 19 February 2014, it was announced that the joint bid from Australia and New Zealand had won hosting rights for the World Cup and that Brisbane Stadium, commonly known as Lang Park, would host the final.
The ground comprises a three-tiered rectangular sporting stadium with a capacity of 52,500 people. and is commonly known as the traditional home of rugby league in Brisbane. The stadium is also used for rugby union and soccer and has a rectangular playing field of .
2017 was the second time the stadium had hosted the World Cup final, with Brisbane previously hosting the final of the 2008 tournament, in which New Zealand defeated hosts Australia 34âÂÂ20.
Australia's road to the final began on October 27 at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in Melbourne, where they played England. After conceding the first try Australia didn't concede for the rest of the match and went on the win 18âÂÂ4.
Australia's next game was in Canberra against France. Australia jumped out to an early 12âÂÂ0 lead through a Wade Graham double before French fullback Mark Kheirallah fielded an Australian kick and ran 80 meters to score under the posts and make it 12âÂÂ6. Wade Graham went on to score 4 tries as Australia ran out 52âÂÂ6 winners.
The Kangaroos' final group match was in Sydney against Lebanon. Australia put on a very controlled and professional performance to win comfortably, 34âÂÂ0.
Australia would face the win-less Samoa in the first test match in Darwin to open the quarter-finals. Australian winger Valentine Holmes became the first ever player to score 5 tries in a World Cup match as Australia won 46âÂÂ0.
Australia then moved on to Brisbane to play an undefeated Fiji in the first semi-final. Australian winger Valentine Holmes this time scored 6 tries and broke his own record for the most tries in a World Cup match, and also took his tournament tally to 12 thus becoming the highest tally in a single World Cup. Australia went on to beat Fiji 54âÂÂ6 and qualified for their 12th World Cup final.
England began their World Cup campaign against Australia on October 27 at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in Melbourne. England opened the scoring with winger Jermaine McGillvary crossing in the 5th minute, taking an early 4âÂÂ0 lead. England then conceded two tries to trail 4âÂÂ10 at half time. The second half was very evenly matched with both teams having chances to score, until a Cameron Smith penalty goal in the 76th minute extended Australia's lead over a converted try, and conceding a 79th minute intercept try to Josh Dugan sealed an England's first defeat of the tournament, going down 4âÂÂ18.
England's second match of the tournament came against Lebanon in Sydney. A first half blitz saw England take a 22âÂÂ6 half time lead, with tries to Kallum Watkins, Jermaine McGillvary, Ryan Hall and Ben Currie. A more conservative second half saw England only score and conceded one try, and seal a 29âÂÂ10 victory with a last minute field goal by Gareth Widdop. Much controversy surrounded an incident in the second half where Lebanon captain Robbie Farah accused England's Jermaine McGillvary of biting during a tackle. McGillvary was not suspended due to no evidence that he bit Farah.
England's final group match came against France in Perth. England got off to a fast start, scoring 3 tries in the first nine minutes, taking a 26âÂÂ6 half time lead. Much alike their previous group match against Lebanon, England took their foot off the pedal in the second half, only scoring two more tries, going out victorious 36âÂÂ6 and booking their place in the knockout stage.
England faced the winners of Group C, Papua New Guinea in their quarter final clash in Melbourne. Much a-like their group stage matches, England were the first team to score, taking a 14âÂÂ0 lead into half time. A Ben Currie try in the 56th minute almost certainly booked England a semi final berth until Garry Lo got PNG's first try and set up an exciting last 20 minutes, until 3 tries in the last 12 minutes saw England run out 36âÂÂ6 victors.
England then face a passionate Tongan team in the semi-finals in Auckland. England opened the scoring through a try to winger Jermaine McGillvary, scoring his seventh of the tournament. Five minutes later Gareth Widdop took the lead out to 12âÂÂ0, a lead which England took into half time. A 50th-minute penalty goal took England out past a 2 converted try lead and a 68th minute try to John Bateman all but looked to seal England's first World Cup final berth since 1995, but three tries in 4 minutes to Tonga closed England's lead to two points with 3 minutes left. The ending of the match was very controversial, with Tonga's Andrew Fafita crossing the line in the dying seconds for referee Matt Cecchin to rule a knock-on against the Tongans. Replays showed that the knock-on may have been a result due to a strip from England, but Cecchin failed to review the possible try and thus awarding England a 20âÂÂ18 semi final win, and advancing to the final to face Australia, who they faced in their opening group match.
Gerard Sutton was named to officiate the match with Chris Kendall from the Rugby Football League and Chris Butler to be the touch judges. Ben Thaler was the video referee, and Matt Cecchin and Robert Hicks were the standy-by referee and touch judges respectively.
Sean O'Loughlin was originally selected to play for England but withdrew due to a quad injury. He was replaced by Sam Burgess whilst Ben Currie filled Burgess's spot in the second row, and Jonny Lomax filled Currie's spot on the bench.
Australia was unchanged for the final from their semi-final victory over Fiji.
The match was played as a double-header with the women's final between Australia and New Zealand. Australia won 23âÂÂ16, retaining their 2013 title and their second overall.
Injured Australian five-eighth Johnathan Thurston and English rugby league icon Kevin Sinfield presented the teams onto the field. Amber Dawn-Finch sang God Save the Queen for the English, and tenor Scott Muller sang Advance Australia Fair for the Australians.
Boyd Cordner scored the first try in the 15th minute for Australia, and Cameron Smith converted.
After the first 40 minutes, Australia went into half-time with a 6âÂÂ0 lead.
In the 47th minute, Michael Morgan appeared to have scored a try, but was ruled no try when referred to the video referee due to ruled interference, resulting in a penalty to England.
In the 65th minute, English centre Kallum Watkins broke the Australian line causing an 2-on-1 overlap with Elliott Whitehead unmarked, but was ankle-tapped by Australia's Josh Dugan which ended up being a match-winning moment for the Kangaroos.
The second half ended up being a scoreless affair for both sides; after 80 minutes Australia retaining the World Cup with a 6âÂÂ0 victory.
Notes:
Australia:
England:
Australia won their 11th World Cup final with the victory. Boyd Cordner was named man of the match, and Billy Slater was named player of the tournament.
At the subsequent 2017 Rugby League World Cup tournament, held in 2022 and hosted by England, saw the host nation eliminated in the semi-finals to Samoa, whereas Australia qualified for their 12th consecutive World Cup final.
In Australia, 842,000 viewers watched the match on Seven Network. This figure was higher than second test match of the 2017âÂÂ18 Ashes series, which was on the same evening.