2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since its inauguration in 1954, and the first since the 2000 tournament. The tournament was held in Australia from 26 October, culminating in the final between Australia and New Zealand on 22 November.
| 2008 Rugby League World Cup | |
|---|---|
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Host country | Australia |
| Winner | New Zealand (1st title) |
| Matches played | 18 |
| Attendance | 293,442 (16,302 per match) |
| Points scored | 890 (49.44 per match) |
| Tries scored | 156 (8.67 per match) |
| Top scorer | Johnathan Thurston |
| Top try scorer | Billy Slater (7 tries) |
Tournaments | |
The tournament was the fourth time that the World Cup was held in Australia, the first being in 1957. The tournament was won by New Zealand, who defeated Australia 34–20 in the final in one of the greatest upsets in the history of the sport. The tournament featured the best ten teams around the globe which were split into three groups. A total of eighteen matches took place in twelve different venues across four Australian states. The tournament ended a year of celebrations commemorating the centenary of the game in the southern hemisphere and was part of the Festival of World Cups.