| 1972 World Cup | |
|---|---|
| Number of teams | 4 |
| Host country |  France |
| Winner |  Great Britain (3rd title) |
| Matches played | 7 |
| Attendance | 62,456 (8,922 per match) |
| Points scored | 240 (34.29 per match) |
| Top scorer | John Holmes (26) |
| Top try scorer |  Bob Fulton (5) |
< 1970 1975 > | |
The sixth Rugby League World Cup was held in France in October and November 1972. Australia started as the favourites to retain the trophy they had won just two years previously. New Zealand had beaten all three of the other nations in 1971 and France were expected to be tough opponents on their home soil. In the event Great Britain confounded most expectations by running out worthy winners[citation needed] and levelling their tally of World Cup wins at 3–3 with the Australians.
The final was held at Stade Gerland in Lyon. Great Britain played Australia and in the end, with scores level and unchanged after extra time, claimed the cup on league placing.
This was the last World Cup to be played under the four-tackle rule.