The 1995 Rugby League World Cup (also known as Halifax Centenary World Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the eleventh World Cup for mens national rugby league teams. It was held between 7–28 October and hosted by England and Wales and was won by Australia who beat England at Wembley Stadium, their eighth World Cup win and fifth in succession.
Organised to celebrate the sports centenary, ten nations were invited to participate. The tournament had been preceded by doubts and pessimism; many feared that it would produce one-sided-matches that would be unattractive to supporters. The forthcoming Super League war also hung over the tournament, with the Australian Rugby League refusing to select players who had signed for the rival competition. Those fears proved unfounded, and the tournament was acclaimed a great success.
Although some early matches did prove as one-sided as feared, fans still flocked to see newer rugby league nations such as Fiji, Tonga, Western Samoa and South Africa. Large home crowds for the group involving Wales proved particularly encouraging for the sport.
For the 1995 tournament, a £10,000 cup was made by Tiffanys to celebrate the centenary of the game.
Teams
Ten teams competed in the Centenary World Cup: Australia, England, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Tonga, Wales and Western Samoa. It was the first time since the 1975 World Series that England and Wales competed, rather than Great Britain. Fiji, South Africa, Tonga and Western Samoa all made their World Cup débuts. Australia's win in the end, with what many considered to be a second-string side, was seen as a blow to the Super League organisation, with which every other nation was aligned.
|team2 =
|stadium = Wembley Stadium, London
|attendance = 41,271
|referee = Stuart Cummings (England)
|try1 = Farrell, Joynt, Robinson, Newlove
|goal1 = Farrell (2)
|try2 = Menzies (2), Coyne
|goal2 = Wishart (2)
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Group B
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Group C
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Knockout Stage
Semi-finals
England as expected defeated reigning European Champions Wales in their semi-final at Old Trafford. The other Semi at Huddersfield almost produced a boil over. After defeating New Zealand 3–0 in the Trans-Tasman Test series earlier in the year, and with the Kiwis lackluster form in their Group B games, Australia was expected to easily account for Frank Endacott's side, but the Kiwis found form and the game ended 20–all at the end of 80 minutes (following a missed sideline conversion attempt by the Kiwis Matthew Ridge and a missed left foot drop goal attempt by the same player - both in the last few minutes of regular time). However, 20 minutes of extra time saw Australia skip away to a 30–20 win to book their place in the Final at Wembley.
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Final
The Australians had reached the final after a hard-fought 30–20 Semi-final win over New Zealand at the McAlpine Stadium which had gone into extra time after the score was locked at 20-all after 80 minutes. Their opponents and tournament host England, had an easier time defeating Wales 25–10 in their semi at Old Trafford. Kangaroos captain and five-eighth Brad Fittler and fullback Tim Brasher were the only members of Australia's 1992 World Cup final win over Great Britain at Wembley, Despite almost being ruled out of the tournament with pneumonia, St Helens centre Paul Newlove was selected by coach Phil Larder for starting line-up in the final. Larder also handed the captaincy to veteran test forward Denis Betts. With the former Wigan back rower now playing for the Auckland Warriors in the Australian premiership, his selection as captain created history as he became the first player to captain England while not currently playing in the British competition.
After winning in 1992, Australian coach Bob Fulton became just the second coach (after Harry Bath) to win two Rugby League World Cups. It was Fulton's 5th World Cup win after also winning in 1968, 1970 and 1975 as a player. Coincidentally, Fulton's coach in the 1968 and 1970 World Cup finals was Harry Bath.
Status Quo performed the pre-match entertainment, performing When You Walk in the Room and Rockin' All Over the World.
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{| width="100%"
|valign="top" width="50%"|
{| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
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!width="25"| !!width="25"|
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|FB ||1||Kris Radlinski
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|RW ||2||Jason Robinson
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|RC ||3||Gary Connolly
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|LC ||4||Paul Newlove
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|LW ||5||Martin Offiah
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|SO ||6||Tony Smith
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|SH ||7||Bobbie Goulding
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|PR ||8||Karl Harrison
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|HK ||9||Lee Jackson
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|PR ||10||Andy Platt
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|SR ||11||Denis Betts (c)
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|SR ||12||Phil Clarke
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|LF ||13||Andy Farrell
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|colspan=3|Substitutions:
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|IC ||14||Barrie-Jon Mather
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|IC ||15||Mick Cassidy
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|IC ||16||Nick Pinkney
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|IC ||17||Chris Joynt
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|colspan=3|Coach:
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|colspan="4"| Phil Larder
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|valign="top" width="50%"|
{| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"
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!width="25"| !!width="25"|
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|FB ||1||Tim Brasher
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|LW ||2||Rod Wishart
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|RC ||3||Mark Coyne
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|LC ||4||Terry Hill
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|RW ||5||Brett Dallas
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|FE ||6||Brad Fittler (c)
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|HB ||7||Geoff Toovey
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|PR ||8||Dean Pay
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|HK ||9||Andrew Johns
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|PR ||10||Mark Carroll
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|SR ||11||Steve Menzies
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|SR ||12||Gary Larson
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|LK ||13||Jim Dymock
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|colspan=3|Substitutions:
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|IC ||14||Robbie O'Davis
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|IC ||15||Matthew Johns
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|IC ||16||Jason Smith
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|IC ||17||Nik Kosef
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|colspan=3|Coach:
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|colspan="4"| Bob Fulton
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First half
England won the coin toss and Australia's Andrew Johns kicked off the match. In England's first set with the ball Australia were penalised for their skipper Brad Fittler's high tackle on Andrew Farrell. From the resulting good field position England were able to force a line drop-out and get another set of six in Australia's half of the field. At the end of the set, Radlinski put up a high kick, which Australia's fullback Tim Brasher failed to secure and Australia were penalised for regathering the ball when off-side. Bobbie Goulding kicked the penalty goal from fifteen metres out, giving his side a 2–0 lead. From Australia's resulting kick-off, the English players couldn't secure the ball and it was regathered by the Kangaroos deep in the opposition half. On the last tackle of the ensuing set, Johns at first receiver put a chip kick into the left-hand corner of England's in-goal area where winger Rod Wishart dived in and got a hand on it, giving Australia the first try of the match in the seventh minute. Johns then converted the try from the touch-line and the Kangaroos were leading 6–2. A few minutes later England were penalised around the centre of the field and Johns attempted the kick at goal but missed. With the game now swinging from end to end, Johns conceded a penalty close to the goal posts and Goulding's kick bounced off the uprights but went in,
Second half
After making their way into good attacking field position, England played the ball ten metres out from Australia's goal-line where centre Paul Newlove at dummy-half ran the ball at the defence forced his way through to score in the left corner. The play continued swinging from one end of the field to the other, with neither team able to capitalise on their scoring opportunities for the next twenty minutes. Australian interchange player Jason Smith was blood binned and had to return to the bench. A few minutes later the Kangaroos had made their way deep into England's half when, on the last tackle, the ball was moved through the hands and eventually flicked passed back from Johns as he was being tackled to the feet of Brasher who kicked it ahead to the try-line. Both fullbacks then scrambled to get to the ball and the referee ruled that Brasher had grounded it, awarding Australia a try. Johns converted the try so Australia lead 16–8 with just over 10 minutes remaining. England forward Karl Harrison then had to come off the field with an injured arm. A few minutes from full-time Australian forward Mark Carroll was sent to the sin-bin for an infringement in the ruck. The remainder of the match extended into additional injury time but was played with no further points so Australia retained the World Cup with a 16–8 victory and their fifth consecutive world title.
21-year-old Andrew Johns was named man-of-the-match. Kangaroos coach Bob Fulton had named the young half as the team hooker, and he did indeed pack into the scrums. However Johns played at halfback in general play with Geoff Toovey having the dummy-half duties, necessary because Toovey had actually injured his neck during the tournament and simply could not pack into the front row in the scrums.
Following the match Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex presented Kangaroos captain Brad Fittler with the Cup and each of the players with medals.