Rugby League World Cup Records: Biggest Wins and Most Tries
What’s the biggest win in Rugby League World Cup history, and has anyone come close at this year’s tournament?
Samoa’s 78-4 thrashing of France in Round 1 of the 2026 World Cup has fans asking how it compares with the all-time records.
The biggest win in Rugby League World Cup history is Australia’s 110-4 victory over Russia in 2000. Billy Slater holds the record for the most World Cup tries, with 16.
Johnathan Thurston has scored the most points, with 124, and Valentine Holmes holds the single-match record with six tries.
Below, you’ll find the biggest team and player records, the women’s records, the crowd records and every record broken so far in 2026.
We update this page whenever a new record falls during the tournament, right through to the final on 15 November.
Quick Answer: Rugby League World Cup Records
- Biggest win: Australia 110-4 Russia (2000)
- Most career tries: Billy Slater, 16
- Most career points: Johnathan Thurston, 124
- Most tries in a match: Valentine Holmes, 6 (2017)
- Record crowd: 74,468, 2013 final at Old Trafford
- Biggest win in 2026 so far: Samoa 78-4 France
What Is the Biggest Win in Rugby League World Cup History?
Here are the five biggest winning margins in men’s Rugby League World Cup history.
| Match | Year | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Australia 110-4 Russia | 2000 | 106 |
| England 94-4 Greece | 2022 | 90 |
| Australia 84-0 Scotland | 2022 | 84 |
| Tonga 92-10 Cook Islands | 2022 | 82 |
| Australia 86-6 South Africa | 1995 | 80 |
Australia beat Russia 110-4 in 2000, a winning margin of 106 points that still stands today.
Three of the five biggest wins came at the last World Cup in 2022.
Australia appear three times in the top five, while England and Tonga both make the list with wins from 2022.
Samoa’s 74-point win over France in 2026 just misses the top five.
Who Has Scored the Most Tries at Rugby League World Cups?
These are the top try scorers in men’s Rugby League World Cup history.
| Player | Team | Tries |
|---|---|---|
| Billy Slater | Australia | 16 |
| Jarryd Hayne | Australia, Fiji | 14 |
| Ryan Hall | England | 14 |
| Valentine Holmes | Australia | 14 |
| Bob Fulton | Australia | 13 |
Billy Slater scored 16 World Cup tries for Australia, the most of any player.
Valentine Holmes holds the single-match record, with six tries against Fiji in the 2017 semi-final.
Holmes and Josh Addo-Carr share the record for one tournament, with 12 tries each in 2017 and 2022.
Holmes is at this World Cup with the Cook Islands, so he could still add to his total.
Who Has Scored the Most Points at Rugby League World Cups?
These are the top point scorers in men’s Rugby League World Cup history.
| Player | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Johnathan Thurston | Australia | 124 |
| Shaun Johnson | New Zealand | 120 |
| Mick Cronin | Australia | 108 |
| Michael O’Connor | Australia | 108 |
| George Fairbairn | Great Britain, England | 92 |
Johnathan Thurston scored 124 points for Australia, the most in World Cup history, just ahead of New Zealand’s Shaun Johnson.
Ryan Girdler holds the single-match record, with 46 points against Russia in 2000.
Michael O’Connor scored 100 points in one tournament, at the 1985-88 World Cup, which was played over several years.
Most of the top scorers were goal kickers, as conversions and penalty goals add up fast over several World Cups.
Rugby League World Cup Team Records
Australia have won the men’s World Cup 12 times, more than any other nation.
Great Britain won it three times, in 1954, 1960 and 1972, and New Zealand won it once, in 2008.
Australia’s 110 points against Russia is also the highest team score, ahead of England’s 94 against Greece in 2022.
See every final on our Rugby League World Cup winners list by year page, or read the full story in our Rugby League World Cup history guide.
Women’s Rugby League World Cup Records
The Jillaroos hold most of the women’s records, after winning the last three Women’s World Cups.
Their 92-0 win over France at the 2022 World Cup is the biggest in their history, beating their 88-0 win over Canada in 2017.
In 2026, England beat Wales 70-6, and Isabel Rowe’s 26 points equalled the record for an English woman in a Test.
PNG beat France 58-4 in their opener, with Naomi Kelly scoring four tries.
Records Broken at the Rugby League World Cup 2026
Samoa’s 78-4 win over France was their biggest World Cup score and winning margin, as NRL.com reported.
Sua Fa’alogo scored four tries that night, and Stephen Crichton kicked 11 goals from 14 attempts.
Tonga beat England 30-12 in Perth, their first ever Test win over England.
The opener drew 41,255 fans, Sydney’s biggest Test crowd in more than 50 years. See every score on our Rugby League World Cup 2026 results page.
What Is the Biggest Rugby League World Cup Crowd?
These are the three biggest crowds in Rugby League World Cup history.
| Crowd | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 74,468 | 2013 final | Old Trafford, Manchester |
| 73,631 | 1992 final | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 67,575 | 2013 semi-final double-header | Wembley Stadium, London |
The record is 74,468, for the 2013 final at Old Trafford, where Australia beat New Zealand 34-2 to win the trophy.
In 2026, the biggest crowd so far is 41,255 for Australia vs New Zealand at Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
The 2026 final is at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, which holds about 52,500, so the all-time record will stand for now.
Rugby League World Cup Records: FAQ
Here are quick answers to the questions fans ask most about Rugby League World Cup records.
Each answer starts with the key fact, so you can find it fast.
For the full tables, see the sections above.
What is the highest score in a Rugby League World Cup match?
Australia scored 110 points against Russia in 2000.
They won 110-4.
Ryan Girdler scored 46 of those points.
Who is the top try scorer in Rugby League World Cup history?
Billy Slater, with 16 tries for Australia.
Jarryd Hayne, Ryan Hall and Valentine Holmes have 14 each.
Holmes holds the single-match record of six tries.
Which country has won the most Rugby League World Cups?
Australia, with 12 men’s titles.
Great Britain have won three.
New Zealand won once, in 2008.
What was the biggest win at the 2026 World Cup?
Samoa’s 78-4 win over France is the biggest so far.
It was played in Round 1, on Friday 16 October.
It was Samoa’s biggest ever World Cup win.
Conclusion
Australia’s 110-4 win over Russia in 2000 is still the biggest in Rugby League World Cup history.
Billy Slater has the most career tries, Johnathan Thurston the most points, and Valentine Holmes the most tries in one match.
Samoa, Tonga and the 41,255 crowd in Sydney have already made history at the 2026 World Cup.
Follow the race for this year’s scoring records on our Rugby League World Cup 2026 top try scorers page, and bookmark this page for new records.
