INTERNATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE · MEN’S TEAM
Australia national rugby league team
Kangaroos
Australia’s men’s national rugby league team is known as the Kangaroos. Its story reaches back to the first Australian internationals and Kangaroo tour in 1908.
- International beginnings
- 1908
- First men’s World Cup
- 1954
- World Cup record through 2022
- 12 titles through the 2021 edition, played in 2022
When did Australia’s team begin?
The Australian representative side emerged as rugby league established itself in New South Wales and Queensland. The first Kangaroo tour took place in 1908–09, only a year after the NSW Rugby League was formed. The national team’s 1908 starting point should therefore be distinguished from the organisation of the Australian game in 1907.
Key milestones
- 1908 — The first Kangaroo tour took an Australian representative team to Britain.
- 1954 — Australia participated in the inaugural Rugby League World Cup.
- 2022 — Australia defeated Samoa 30–10 at Old Trafford to win its twelfth men’s World Cup title.
Understanding this team
The Kangaroos represent Australia in international football. They are a national selection, rather than an NRL club or a State of Origin side. Their World Cup record belongs to the men’s team; the Jillaroos have their own separate history and honours.
Sources and further reading
- NRL: history of rugby league
- National Museum of Australia: the game begins
- NRL: 2022 World Cup final report
- Rugby League Project: Australia competitions
Profile researched: 24 October 2026. Dates distinguish representative-team origins from governing-body formation where the sources make that distinction.