 | Parts of this article (those related to Australian-related men rugby in the 2020s) need to be updated. (March 2023) |
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| Team information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | The Kangaroos | |||||
| Governing body | Australian Rugby League Commission | |||||
| Region | Asia-Pacific | |||||
| Head coach | Mal Meninga | |||||
| Captain | Isaah Yeo | |||||
| Most caps | Darren Lockyer (59) | |||||
| Top try-scorer | Darren Lockyer (35) | |||||
| Top point-scorer | Johnathan Thurston (382) | |||||
| IRL ranking | 1st | |||||
| Uniforms | ||||||
| ||||||
| Team results | ||||||
| First international | ||||||
 New Zealand 11–10 Australia  (Agricultural Oval, Sydney, Australia; 9 May 1908) | ||||||
| Biggest win | ||||||
 Russia 4–110 Australia (The Boulevard, Kingston upon Hull, England; 4 November 2000) | ||||||
| Biggest defeat | ||||||
| New Zealand 30–0 Australia (Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, New Zealand; 4 November 2023) | ||||||
| World Cup | ||||||
| Appearances | 16 (first time in 1954) | |||||
| Best result |  Champions (1957; 1968; 1970; 1975; 1977; 1988; 1992; 1995; 2000; 2013; 2017; 2021) | |||||
The Australian national rugby league team, the Kangaroos, have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competitions since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League Commission, the Kangaroos are ranked first in the IRL Men's World Rankings. The team is the most successful in Rugby League World Cup history, having won the competition 12 times, and contested 15 of the 16 finals, only failing to reach the final in the 1954 inaugural tournament. Only five nations (along with NZ Maori) have beaten Australia in test matches, and Australia has an overall win percentage of 69%.
Dating back to 1908, Australia is the fourth oldest national side after England, New Zealand and Wales. The team was first assembled in 1908 for a tour of Great Britain.[1] The majority of the Kangaroos' games since then have been played against Great Britain and New Zealand. In the first half of the 20th century, Australia's international competition came from alternating tours to Great Britain and New Zealand. Australia played host to these teams in non-tour years. Great Britain dominated in the early years, and Australia did not win a Test against the Lions until 11 November 1911 under captain Chris McKivat. Australia did not win a series at home against Great Britain until 1920 or abroad until 1958.
Since 1908, the team has been nicknamed the Kangaroos. Initially only used when touring Great Britain and later France, this has been the official nickname of the team since 7 July 1994. In 1997 Australia was also represented by a Super League Australia team, drawing on players from that year's Super League competition.
- ^ Australian Rugby League and National Rugby League. "Rugby league" (PDF). Australian Human Rights Commission Report. hreoc.gov.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.