Venue: Sydney Football Stadium.
Date: Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th February 1997.
Crowds: Saturday 14,445; Sunday 15,116; total 29,561.
Man of the tournament: Troy Campbell (Parramatta).
The format of the tournament was changed again. Teams were divided into eight pools, each containing either three Sydney teams or three other teams. Then in the quarterfinals at all levels Sydney teams were matched against other teams, virtually ensuring that only Sydney teams could win the three competitions.
Fiji and Papua New Guinea were teams from the breakaway competitions in the respective countries. American Samoa, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Tonga, and United States were unofficial teams. The Lebanon team, which generated a lot of interest, and the Aboriginal team, were put together from players in the ARL competition with appropriate ancestry.
The ARL trialed using video replay for dodgy try decisions, as SL had done in the nines, with equally mixed success.
[squads] [match details] [finals details]
Group 1:
NRL Fiji 22 beat American Samoa 18 in extra time.
Tonga 16 beat American Samoa 12.
Tonga 16 beat NRL Fiji 14.
Tonga 2 2 0 32 26 Cup
NRL Fiji 2 1 1 36 34 Trophy
American Samoa 2 0 2 30 38 Plate
Group 2:
Newcastle 20 beat South Sydney 18.
St George 26 beat Newcastle 22.
South Sydney 28 beat St George 16.
South Sydney 2 1 1 46 36 Cup
Newcastle 2 1 1 42 44 Trophy
St George 2 1 1 42 50 Plate
Group 3:
Aboriginals 26 beat Papua New Guinea 10.
Aboriginals 16 beat New Zealand 14.
New Zealand 32 beat Papua New Guinea 18.
Aboriginals 2 2 0 42 24 Cup
New Zealand 2 1 1 46 34 Trophy
Papua New Guinea 2 0 2 28 58 Plate
Group 4:
North Sydney 16 beat Sydney City 6.
North Sydney 22 beat Gold Coast 20.
Sydney City 22 beat Gold Coast 18.
North Sydney 2 2 0 38 26 Cup
Sydney City 2 1 1 28 34 Trophy
Gold Coast 2 0 2 38 44 Plate
Group 5:
Italy 38 beat Japan 4.
Italy 22 beat United States 0.
United States 18 beat Japan 14 in extra time.
Italy 2 2 0 60 4 Cup
United States 2 1 1 18 36 Trophy
Japan 2 0 2 18 56 Plate
Group 6:
Illawarra 14 beat Manly Warringah 10.
Western Suburbs 26 beat Illawarra 12.
Western Suburbs 18 beat Manly Warringah 12.
Western Suburbs 2 2 0 44 24 Cup
Illawarra 2 1 1 26 36 Trophy
Manly Warringah 2 0 2 22 32 Plate
Group 7:
Lebanon 24 beat Melbourne 4.
Lebanon 16 beat NSW Country 14.
NSW Country 16 beat Melbourne 12.
Lebanon 2 2 0 40 18 Cup
NSW Country 2 1 1 30 28 Trophy
Melbourne 2 0 2 16 40 Plate
Group 8:
Balmain 20 beat South Queensland 16.
Parramatta 18 beat Balmain 4.
Parramatta 16 beat South Queensland 10.
Parramatta 2 2 0 34 14 Cup
Balmain 2 1 1 24 34 Trophy
South Queensland 2 0 2 26 36 Plate
Plate Quarterfinals:
St George 44 beat American Samoa 14.
Gold Coast 32 beat Papua New Guinea 4.
Manly Warringah 42 beat Japan 4.
South Queensland 36 beat Melbourne 10.
Plate Semifinals:
St George 18 beat Gold Coast 16.
South Queensland 16 beat Manly Warringah 14.
Plate Final:
St George 18 beat South Queensland 8.
Trophy Quarterfinals:
Newcastle 34 beat NRL Fiji 16.
Sydney City 22 beat New Zealand 10.
Illawarra 18 beat United States 10.
Balmain 26 beat NSW Country 12.
Trophy Semifinals:
Newcastle 34 beat Sydney City 22.
Balmain 18 beat Illawarra 10.
Trophy Final:
Balmain 22 beat Newcastle 16.
Cup Quarterfinals:
South Sydney 20 beat Tonga 10.
North Sydney 12 beat Aboriginals 8.
Western Suburbs 38 beat Italy 12.
Parramatta 22 beat Lebanon 10.
Cup Semifinals:
North Sydney 24 beat South Sydney 18.
Parramatta 24 beat Western Suburbs 12.
Cup Final:
Parramatta 32 beat North Sydney 22.
Venue: Stockland Stadium Townsville.
Date: Friday 31st January to Sunday 2nd February.
Crowd: Friday 10,530; Saturday 12,360; Sunday 13,423;
Total 36,313.
Teams were seeded into two pools, with a full round robin of games taking place between the teams in each pool. The teams finishing 1st and 2nd in each pool played for the Trophy, those finishing 3rd and 4th for the Plate, and those finishing 5th and 6th for the Bowl.
Great Britain fielded one side instead of four, and South Africa fielded a side, though Italy and Morocco did not. The team representing Australia was not an official team, but rather one put together by the Australian Super League organisation.
Rule changes: Play could be restarted with a tap kick rather than a place kick. Squad size was reduced from 17 to 14.
Pool A:
Australia 24 beat United States 0.
Cook Islands 26 beat Papua New Guinea 0.
Western Samoa 12 beat Fiji 6.
Australia 18 beat Cook Islands 4.
Western Samoa 30 beat United States 10.
Fiji 22 beat Papua New Guinea 10.
Australia 20 beat Western Samoa 8.
Fiji 12 beat Cook Islands 8.
Papua New Guinea 38 beat United States 8.
Australia 26 beat Fiji 10.
Western Samoa 16 beat Papua New Guinea 4.
Cook Islands 24 beat United States 6.
Western Samoa 18 beat Cook Islands 10.
Fiji 18 beat United States 8.
Australia 34 beat Papua New Guinea 4.
Australia 5 5 0 0 122 26 Trophy
Western Samoa 5 4 0 1 84 50 Trophy*
Fiji 5 3 0 2 68 64 Plate
Cook Islands 5 2 0 3 72 54 Plate
Papua New Guinea 5 1 0 4 56 106 Bowl
United States 5 0 0 5 32 134 Bowl
* Western Samoa were stripped of their win against Fiji
after using all 14 of their players during the game, but
held their position on goal difference.
Pool B:
New Zealand 12 beat France 10.
Great Britain 20 beat Tonga 0.
South Africa 42 beat Japan 6.
New Zealand 14 beat Tonga 4.
France 28 beat Japan 0.
Great Britain 28 beat South Africa 10.
New Zealand 50 beat Japan 4.
South Africa 10 drew with Tonga 10.
Great Britain 20 beat France 0.
New Zealand 34 beat South Africa 8.
Great Britain 46 beat Japan 0.
France 8 beat Tonga 6.
Great Britain 12 beat New Zealand 10.
South Africa 18 beat France 4.
Tonga 44 beat Japan 0.
Great Britain 5 5 0 0 126 20 Trophy
New Zealand 5 4 0 1 120 38 Trophy
South Africa 5 2 1 2 90 96 Plate
France 5 2 0 3 50 56 Plate
Tonga 5 1 1 3 64 54 Bowl
Japan 5 0 0 5 10 210 Bowl
Bowl Semifinals:
Papua New Guinea 20 beat Japan 0.
Tonga 26 beat United States 4.
Bowl Final:
Tonga 16 beat Papua New Guinea 8.
Plate Semifinals:
Fiji 24 beat France 8.
South Africa 8 beat Cook Islands 4.
Plate Final:
Fiji 22 beat South Africa 6.
Trophy Semifinals:
New Zealand 12 beat Australia 10.
Western Samoa 10 beat Great Britain 0.
Trophy Final:
New Zealand 16 beat Western Samoa 0.
Final Standings:
1. New Zealand 7. Cook Islands
2. Western Samoa France
3. Great Britain 9. Tonga
Australia 10. Papua New Guinea
5. Fiji 11. United States
6. South Africa Japan
International:
Australia 28 beat Rest of the World 8
on Friday 11th July at Suncorp Stadium.
Internationals:
Australian Superleague 34 beat New Zealand 22
on Friday 25th April at Sydney Football Stadium.
New Zealand 30 beat Australian Superleague 12
on Friday 26th September at North Harbour Stadium.
(Originally scheduled for Friday 17th October.)
Under-19s:
New Zealand 17 beat Australian Superleague 16
on Friday 25th April at Sydney Football Stadium.
Australian Superleague 18 beat New Zealand Junior Kiwis 14
on Friday 25th April at North Harbour Stadium.
Under-17s:
Australian Superleague 42 beat New Zealand 20
on Monday 19th May at ANZ Stadium.
Womens:
New Zealand 40 beat Australian Superleague 16.
Internationals:
Australian Superleague 38 beat Great Britain 14
on Saturday 1st November at Wembley Stadium.
Great Britain 20 beat Australian Superleague 12
on Saturday 8th November at Old Trafford.
Australian Superleague beat Great Britain
on Sunday 16th November at Elland Road.
Run by Super League as an alternative to the Pacific Cup.
Western Samoa withdrew from the tournament in protest when they discovered that what Super League was giving them was not what was promised when they signed with Super League.
Round 1:
Cook Islands 22 beat Fiji 14.
New Zealand XIII 21 beat Papua New Guinea 18.
New Zealand Maoris 46 beat Tonga 10.
Round 2:
New Zealand Maoris 32 beat Fiji 12.
New Zealand XIII 32 beat Tonga 10.
Papua New Guinea 34 beat Cook Islands 12.
Round 3:
New Zealand XIII 46 beat Cook Islands 2.
Tonga 14 drew with Fiji 14.
New Zealand Maoris 34 beat Papua New Guinea 6.
New Zealand XIII 3 3 0 0 99 30 69 6
New Zealand Maoris 3 3 0 0 112 28 84 6
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Papua New Guinea 3 1 0 2 58 67 -9 2
Cook Islands 3 1 0 2 36 94 -58 2
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Fiji 3 0 1 2 40 68 -28 1
Tonga 3 0 1 2 34 92 -58 1
Playoff for 5th:
Fiji 22 beat Tonga 20.
Playoff for 3rd:
Papua New Guinea 38 beat Cook Islands 14.
Final:
New Zealand XIII 20 beat New Zealand Maoris 15.
The World Club Challenge was originally planned as an end of season knockout competition between the top four teams in each of the Australian Super League and European leagues. It was decided to broaden it to include all the teams from both leagues, partly as a reward to the players for staying loyal, and partly to play up the Australian SL's advantage in having access to foreign competition.
The series proved to be a disaster in Australia. It was very one sided, with the European teams winning only 8 of the 68 games played. It attacted low attendances and low viewing audiences in Australia, and it lost six million dollars. It was also criticised in Australia because Penrith failed to make the finals after winning all six games and Bradford Bulls did make them after losing all six.
The teams in each competition were divided into two groups based on their final placings in 1996. Each group had six teams, except Australasia B which had the two lowest placed SL teams of 1996 and the two created teams. Six rounds of matches were played, each team playing three others from the corresponding foreign group. After the league proper a finals series was played between the top three teams in each A group, the top team in each B group, and the 4th placed European A team.
Round 1:
Brisbane 42 beat London Broncos 22.
Auckland 42 beat St Helens 14.
North Queensland 42 beat Leeds Rhinos 20.
Canberra 70 beat Halifax Blue Sox 6.
Adelaide Rams 50 beat Salford Reds 8.
Cronulla 40 beat Warrington Wolves 12.
Perth 24 beat Castleford Tigers 16.
Hunter Mariners 28 beat Paris St Germain 12.
Wigan Warriors 22 beat Canterbury 18.
Penrith 20 beat Bradford Bulls 16.
Byes: Oldham Bears, Sheffield Eagles.
Round 2:
Adelaide Rams 34 beat Leeds Rhinos 8.
Hunter Mariners 42 beat Castleford Tigers 12.
North Queensland 54 beat Oldham Bears 16.
Auckland 20 beat Bradford Bulls 16.
Canterbury 58 beat Halifax Blue Sox 6.
Canberra 66 beat London Broncos 20.
Penrith 52 beat Warrington Wolves 22.
Sheffield Eagles 26 beat Perth 22.
Brisbane 34 beat Wigan Warriors 0.
Cronulla 48 beat St Helens 8.
Byes: Paris St Germain, Salford Reds.
Round 3:
Adelaide Rams 42 beat Oldham Bears 14.
Hunter Mariners 40 beat Sheffield Eagles 4.
Cronulla 30 beat Bradford Bulls 10.
North Queensland 44 beat Salford Reds 8.
Paris St Germain 24 beat Perth 0.
Canberra 56 beat Wigan Warriors 22.
Brisbane 76 beat Halifax Blue Sox 0.
Penrith 50 beat St Helens 30.
Canterbury 34 beat London Broncos 18.
Auckland 56 beat Warrington Wolves 28.
Byes: Castleford Tigers, Leeds Rhinos.
Round 4:
Penrith 48 beat Warrington Wolves 12.
Leeds Rhinos 22 beat Adelaide Rams 14.
Oldham Bears 20 beat North Queensland 16.
Perth 48 beat Sheffield Eagles 12.
Auckland 64 beat Bradford Bulls 14.
Hunter Mariners 26 beat Castleford Tigers 8.
Canterbury 40 beat Halifax Blue Sox 22.
Brisbane 30 beat Wigan Warriors 4.
Cronulla 28 beat St Helens 12.
London Broncos 38 beat Canberra 18.
Byes: Paris St Germain, Salford Reds.
Round 5:
Auckland 70 beat St Helens 6.
Adelaide Rams 18 beat Oldham Bears 2.
Cronulla 44 beat Warrington Wolves 0.
Hunter Mariners 32 beat Paris St Germain 0.
Perth 24 beat Castleford Tigers 14.
North Queensland 24 beat Salford Reds 14.
Canberra 42 beat Halifax Blue Sox 12.
Brisbane 34 beat London Broncos 16.
Penrith 54 beat Bradford Bulls 14.
Wigan Warriors 31 beat Canterbury 24.
Byes: Leeds Rhinos, Sheffield Eagles.
Round 6:
Perth 30 beat Paris St Germain 12.
Canterbury 44 beat London Broncos 22.
Cronulla 40 beat Bradford Bulls 12.
Hunter Mariners 58 beat Sheffield Eagles 12.
Auckland 16 beat Warrington Wolves 4.
Canberra 50 beat Wigan Warriors 10.
North Queensland 48 beat Leeds Rhinos 14.
Salford Reds 14 beat Adelaide Rams 12.
Penrith 32 beat St Helens 26.
Brisbane 54 beat Halifax Blue Sox 10.
Byes: Castleford Tigers, Oldham Bears.
Australasian Pool A:
1 Brisbane 6 6 0 0 - 270 52 218 12
2 Auckland 6 6 0 0 - 268 82 186 12
3 Cronulla 6 6 0 0 - 230 54 176 12
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4 Penrith 6 6 0 0 - 256 120 136 12
5 Canberra 6 5 0 1 - 302 108 194 10
6 Canterbury 6 4 0 2 - 218 121 97 8
European Pool A:
1 Wigan Warriors 6 2 0 4 - 89 212 -123 4
2 London Broncos 6 1 0 5 - 136 238 -102 2
3 Bradford Bulls 6 0 0 6 - 82 228 -146 0
4 St Helens 6 0 0 6 - 96 270 -174 0
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5 Warrington Wolves 6 0 0 6 - 78 256 -178 0
6 Halifax Blue Sox 6 0 0 6 - 56 340 -284 0
Australasian Pool B:
1 Hunter Mariners 6 6 0 0 - 226 50 176 12
------------------------------------------------------
3 North Queensland 6 5 0 1 - 228 92 136 10
2 Adelaide Rams 6 4 0 2 - 170 68 102 8
4 Perth 6 4 0 2 - 148 104 44 8
European Pool B:
1 Paris St Germain 4 1 0 3 2 48 90 -42 2
------------------------------------------------------
2 Leeds Rhinos 4 1 0 3 2 64 138 -74 2
3 Oldham Bears 4 1 0 3 2 52 130 -78 2
4 Salford Reds 4 1 0 3 2 44 130 -86 2
5 Sheffield Eagles 4 1 0 3 2 54 168 -114 2
6 Castleford Tigers 4 0 0 4 2 52 116 -64 0
Playoff:
St Helens 42 beat Paris St Germain 4.
Quarterfinals:
Auckland 62 beat Bradford Bulls 14.
Hunter Mariners 22 beat Wigan Warriors 18.
Brisbane 66 beat St Helens 12.
Cronulla 40 beat London Broncos 16.
Semifinals:
Brisbane 36 beat Auckland 12.
Hunter Mariners 22 beat Cronulla 18.
Grand Final:
Brisbane 36 beat Hunter Mariners 12.
Selection Girondin 8 beat South Africa 4
on 29th November at Stade Galin Bordeaux.
Languedoc-Roussillon Selection 32 beat South Africa 24
on 2nd December at Stade Albert Domec Carcassonne.
France 30 beat South Africa 17
on 6th December at Arles.
France 30 drew with Ireland 30
on Tuesday 13th May at Bondoufle Stadium Evry.
France 22 beat Scotland 20
on 9th July at Firhill Glasgow.