2009 Rugby League Four Nations
The 2009 Rugby League Four Nations tournament (officially known as the Gillette Four Nations due to sponsorship) was the first Rugby League Four Nations since its expansion from the Tri-Nations tournament. Played in England and France over three weeks from Friday, 23 October until Saturday, 14 November, France and England competed for the first time, with Great Britain's permanent split into the home nations' national teams following the 2007 New Zealand All Golds Tour. The tournament culminated in a final between world number 1 side Australia and hosts England. After 60 minutes of highly competitive football, Australia ran away with the match, scoring a barrage of late tries to win 46–16.
| 2009 Four Nations | |
|---|---|
| Number of teams | 4 |
| Host countries | England France |
| Winner | Australia |
| Matches played | 7 |
| Attendance | 116,089 (16,584 per match) |
| Points scored | 280 (40 per match) |
| Tries scored | 50 (7.14 per match) |
| Top scorer | Johnathan Thurston (38) |
| Top try scorer | Brett Morris (6) |
Tournaments | |
The 2009 series was the first of three Four Nations series planned before the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, with the venues rotating between Europe and the South Pacific. The RLIF also stated that the next Four Nations would be held in 2010.