World Cup - 1954    Next

Details from "The Vault"

The first 'Rugby League World Cup was held in France in 1954. The prime motivators behind the idea of holding a World Cup were the French, who were short of money following the Second World War seizing of their assets by the Vichy Government.

A group stage was held first, with Great Britain topping the table as a result of points difference. They went on to defeat France (who finished second in the table, level on points) in the final, which was held at the Parc de Princes, Paris, in front of around 30,000 spectators.

Great Britain. Manager: G Shaw. Squad: W Banks (Huddersfield), H Bradshaw (Huddersfield), G Brown (Leeds), R Coverdale (Hull), G Helme (Warrington), F Kitchen (Leigh), P Jackson (Barrow), J Ledgard (Leigh), A Naughton (Warrington), D Robinson (Wakefield Trinity), D Rose (Leeds), R Rylance (Huddersfield), S Smith (Hunslet), M Sullivan (Huddersfield), J Thorley (Halifax), D Valentine (Huddersfield), B Watts (York), J Whiteley (Hull).

World Cup Final, Saturday 13th November 1954.    Back to top

Great Britain 16

(G Brown 2, D Rose, Gerry Helme tries; J Ledgard 2 goals)

France 12

(Vincent Cantoni, R Constrastin tries; Puig-Aubert 3 goals)

Parc de Princes Paris. Crowd: 30,368.

Referee: C F Appleton (Great Britain).

Great Britain: J Ledgard; D Rose, Phil Jackson, A Naughton, M Sullivan; G Brown, Gerry Helme; J Thorley, S Smith, R Coverdale, B Watts, D Robinson, Dave Valentine (c).

France: Puig Albert (c); R Contrastin, Jacques Merquey, C Teissiere, Vincent Cantoni; A Jiminez, J Crespo; J Krawzyck, J Audobert, F Rinaldi, J Pambrun, A Save, G Verdier.