Great Britain were favourites, with many expecting them to repeat their 1954 win. 

The opening day attracted enormous attention, with more than 80,000 attending (50,000 in Sydney / 30,000 Brisbane). Two days later another 60,000 filed into the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), and cheered on the home team to a 31-6 victory over Great Britain. 

Australia, captain-coached by the classy Newtown and Wests inside centre Dick Poole, won the World Cup for the first time after they defeated France 26-9 before another 35,000 in Sydney – the win left the Kangaroos four points ahead of the other three nations on the tournament table. 

The World Cup had proved to be a tremendous success, particularly in Sydney where in the space of a week, 145,000 fans had watched three matches. With no Final required, a “Rest of the World” team took on Australia at the SCG, with the Dick Poole’s team winning 20-11.