Australia national rugby league team
| Team information | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | The Kangaroos | |||
| Governing body | Australian Rugby League Commission | |||
| Region | Asia-Pacific | |||
| Head coach | Mal Meninga | |||
| Captain | James Tedesco | |||
| Most caps | Darren Lockyer (59) | |||
| Top try-scorer | Darren Lockyer (35) | |||
| Top point-scorer | Johnathan Thurston (382) | |||
| IRL ranking | 3rd | |||
| 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 Australia national rugby league team, nicknamed the Kangaroos, represents Australia in international rugby league. Australia has the most successful international rugby league team in the world, having won the Rugby League World Cup 12 times, having reached the final in 16 of the 17 World Cups (only failing to reach the final at the first World Cup in 1954).
The Kangaroos ranked first in the IRL Men's World Rankings and have a win percentage of 69% and a win percentage of at least 50% against every team they have ever played. Only six teams have ever beaten the Kangaroos.
Players[change | change source]
Current squad[change | change source]
The Australian Kangaroos squad for the 2023 Pacific Championships. The squad was announced on 3 October with updates on 4 October and 6 October 2023.[1][2][3]
Statistics in this table are compiled from the website, Rugby League Project and are up to 5 November 2023, including the Final of the 2023 Pacific Championships. Jersey numbers are those used in that Final.
Culture[change | change source]
War cry[change | change source]
From 1908 to 1967, the Kangaroos performed an Indigenous war cry before their games (like how New Zealand sports teams perform the Māori haka before they play). The war cry was performed by the Aboriginal team for the first time in over 40 years in 2008 before a match against the New Zealand Māori. It is believed that the war cry is based on an Indigenous chant from Stradbroke Island in Queensland.[4]
| Lyrics | English translation |
|---|---|
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Related pages[change | change source]
- Australian Aboriginal rugby league team
- Australia women's national rugby league team (nicknamed the "Jillaroos")
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "Kangaroos name five debutants in Pacific Championships squad". NRL. 3 Oct 2023. Retrieved 3 Oct 2023.
- ↑ "Hynes called in for injured Cleary as Kangaroos update squad". NRL. 4 Oct 2023. Retrieved 4 Oct 2023.
- ↑ "NRL issue Josh Addo-Carr with Breach Notice". NRL. 6 Oct 2023. Retrieved 6 Oct 2023.
- ↑ For crying out loud, where's Australia's war song?
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