Australia national rugby league team

Australia
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

Current squad

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.

J#	Player	Age	Position(s)	Kangaroos						Club	NRL		Other Reps
J#	Player	Age	Position(s)	Dbt	M	T	G	F	P	Club	CM	TM	Other Reps
1	James Tedesco	30	Fullback	2018	13	9	0	0	36	Sydney Roosters	136	226	22 6 1 2
2	Dylan Edwards	27	Wing, Fullback	2023	3	1	0	0	4	Penrith Panthers	131	131
3	Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow	22	Centre, Fullback	2023	3	2	0	0	8	Dolphins (NRL)	20	70	4 1 1
4	Kotoni Staggs	25	Centre	2023	3	1	5	0	14	Brisbane Broncos	100	100	1 1 3
5	Valentine Holmes	28	Wing	2016	21	20	22	0	124	North Queensland Cowboys	74	179	16
6	Cameron Munster	29	Five-eighth	2017	12	4	0	0	16	Melbourne Storm	195	195	18
7	Daly Cherry-Evans	34	Halfback	2011	21	5	3	0	26	Manly Warringah Sea Eagles	305	305	22 2
8	Payne Haas	23	Prop	2019	4	1	0	0	4	Brisbane Broncos	104	104	11 1
9	Ben Hunt	33	Hooker, Halfback	2014	15	4	0	0	16	St. George Illawarra Dragons	125	312	17 4
10	Tino Fa'asuamaleaui	23	Prop	2022	7	1	0	0	4	Gold Coast Titans	63	90	12 1 3
17	Reuben Cotter	24	Second-row, Prop	2022	5	0	0	0	0	North Queensland Cowboys	59	59	4 2 1
12	Liam Martin	26	Second-row	2022	7	3	0	0	12	Penrith Panthers	104	104	9
13	Isaah Yeo	28	Lock	2022	8	2	0	0	8	Penrith Panthers	220	220	11 1
14	Harry Grant	25	Hooker	2022	8	1	0	0	4	Melbourne Storm	62	77	8
15	Lindsay Collins	27	Prop	2022	6	3	0	0	12	Sydney Roosters	90	90	9
16	Patrick Carrigan	25	Lock	2022	8	0	0	0	0	Brisbane Broncos	83	83	6
18	Nicho Hynes	27	Halfback, Fullback	2023	2	0	0	0	0	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	46	82	1 3 1
19	Thomas Flegler	24	Prop	2023	1	0	0	0	0	Brisbane Broncos	96	96	3 2
11	Cameron Murray	25	Second-row, Lock	2019	8	7	0	0	28	South Sydney Rabbitohs	147	147	13 1
20	Selwyn Cobbo	21	Wing	2023	1	0	0	0	0	Brisbane Broncos	49	49	4 3 1
21	Jake Trbojevic	29	Prop, Lock	2016	13	2	0	0	8	Manly Warringah Sea Eagles	200	200	16 4

Culture

War cry

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
Wallee mullalra choomooroo tingal! Nah! Nah! Nah! Nah! Cannai, barrang, warrang, warrang! Yallah! Yallah! Yallah! Yallah! Ah! Jaleeba, booga, boorooloong? Yarnah meei, meei, meei! Meeyarra, meeyarra, jeeleeba, cahwoon! Cooeewah! Cooeewah! Wahh, wooh!	We are a race of fighters, descended from the War Gods! Beware! Beware! Beware! Beware! Where we fight, there will be great bloodshed! Go! Go! Go! Go! We are powerful, but merciful! Are you friends? Good! Good! The kangaroo is dangerous when at bay! Come on! Come on, death!

Related pages

Australian Aboriginal rugby league team
Australia women's national rugby league team (nicknamed the "Jillaroos")

References

↑ "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?

[1] "Kangaroos name five debutants in Pacific Championships squad". NRL. 3 Oct 2023. Retrieved 3 Oct 2023.

[2] "Hynes called in for injured Cleary as Kangaroos update squad". NRL. 4 Oct 2023. Retrieved 4 Oct 2023.

[3] "NRL issue Josh Addo-Carr with Breach Notice". NRL. 6 Oct 2023. Retrieved 6 Oct 2023.

[4] For crying out loud, where's Australia's war song?

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