View source for 1981 European Rugby League Championship

{{Short description|European rugby league championship}}
{{refimprove|date=December 2009}}
{{Infobox rugby league international tournament
| year = 1981
| title = European Championship
| image = 
| imagesize =  250px
| finalists = 3
| winners = France
| count = 6
| matches = 3
| attendance = 
| points = 
| tries = 
| topscorer-flag = 
| topscorer = [[José Moya (rugby league)|José Moya]] (10)<ref>[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/European_Championship_1980-81/summary.html European Championship 1980/81] ''rugbyleagueproject.org''</ref>
| top try scorer-flag = 
| top try scorer = [[Joël Roosebrouck]] (2)
| tournaments = Rugby League European Cup
| last = [[1980 European Rugby League Championship|1980]]
| next = [[1995 European Rugby League Championship|1995]]
}}

The '''1981 European Rugby League Championship''' was the 22nd edition of the [[Rugby League European Championship]], a [[rugby league]] tournament that took place in Europe. The tournament saw the same three teams that competed in the [[1980 European Rugby League Championship|previous edition]] in 1980. 

The format was a single round-robin format, with the matches being played between January and March 1981. After the three matches were played, [[France national rugby league team|France]] took out their 11th title by defeating the other two opponents in [[England national rugby league team|England]] and [[Wales national rugby league team|Wales]].

==Venues==

<div style="text-align: center;">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]]
! {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Narbonne]]
! {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Leeds]]
|-
| [[Boothferry Park]], [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]]
| [[Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié|Stade de l'Egassiarial]], [[Narbonne]]
| [[Headingley Rugby Stadium|Headingley]]
|-
| Capacity: '''	15,160'''
| Capacity: '''12,000'''
| Capacity: '''30,000'''
|-
| [[File:Boothferry.jpg|200px]]
| [[File:Finale_du_Championnat_de_France_de_rugby_à_XIII_2017_104.jpg|200px]]
| [[File:The Willows North Stand - geograph.org.uk - 43344.jpg|200px]]
|}</div>


==Squads==
Source:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/european-championship-1980-81/squads.html|title=European Championship 1980/81 - Squads - Rugby League Project|website=www.rugbyleagueproject.org}}</ref>

===France===
*[[Marc Ambert]] (Pia)
*[[Manuel Caravaca]] (Carcassonne)
*[[Delphin Castanon]] (Lézignan)
*[[Max Chantal]] (Villeneuve-sur-Lot)
*[[Philippe Fourquet]] (Villeneuve-sur-Lot)
*[[José Giné]] (Roanne)
*[[Ivan Grésèque]] (XIII Catalan)
*[[Hervé Guiraud (rugby league)|Hervé Guiraud]] (Lézignan)
*[[Christian Maccali]] (Villeneuve-sur-Lot)
*[[José Moya (rugby league)|José Moya]] (Carcassonne)
*[[Michel Naudo]] (Pia)
*[[Marcel Pillon]] (Saint-Estève)
*[[Hugues Ratier]] (Lézignan)
*[[Joël Roosebrouck]] (Villeneuve-sur-Lot) (Captain) 
*[[Sébastien Rodriguez]] (Pia)
*[[Jean-Pierre Trémouille]] (Tonneins)
*[[Éric Waligunda]] (Lézignan)

===England===
*[[Mick Adams]]
*[[Brian Case]]
*[[Len Casey]]
*[[Des Drummond]]
*[[George Fairbairn (rugby league)|George Fairbairn]] (Captain)
*[[Steve Fenton (rugby league)|Steve Fenton]]
*[[Roy Holdstock]]
*[[John Joyner]]
*[[Ken Kelly (rugby league)|Ken Kelly]]
*[[Steve Nash (rugby league)|Steve Nash]]
*[[Steve Norton]]
*[[Steve O'Neill (rugby league)|Steve O'Neill]]
*[[Bill_Pattinson_(rugby_league,_born_1954)|Bill Pattinson]]
*[[Harry Pinner]]
*[[Terry Richardson (rugby league)|Terry Richardson]]
*[[Mike Smith (rugby league)|Mike Smith]]
*[[Ian Potter (rugby league)|Ian Potter]]
*[[Arnold Walker (rugby league)|Arnold Walker]]
*[[David Ward (rugby league)|David Ward]]
*[[John Woods (rugby league)|John Woods]]

===Wales===
*[[John Bevan (rugby)|John Bevan]] (Captain)
*[[Harold Box]]
*[[Adrian Cambriani]]
*[[Steve Diamond]]
*[[Colin Dixon]]
*[[Clive Griffiths (rugby)|Clive Griffiths]]
*[[Martin Herdman]]
*[[Mel James]]
*[[Brian Juliff]]
*[[Roy Mathias]]
*[[Gareth Owen (Welsh rugby league)|Gareth Owen]]
*[[Roger Owen (rugby)|Roger Owen]]
*[[Donald Parry (rugby league)|Donald Parry]]
*[[Paul Prendiville]]
*[[Steve Rule]]
*[[Trevor Skerrett]]
*[[Graham Walters]]
*[[Danny Wilson (rugby)|Danny Wilson]]
*[[Paul Woods (rugby league)|Paul Woods]]

==Results==
{{Rugbybox |
date = 31 January |
home = {{Rl-rt|FRA}} |
score = 23 – 5 |
away = {{Rl|WAL}} |
homescore = '''Tries:''' <br> [[Joël Roosebrouck]] (2) <br> [[Philippe Fourquet]] <br> [[Ivan Grésèque]] <br>[[Jean-Philippe Trémouille]] <br> '''Goals:''' <br> [[José Moya (rugby league)|José Moya]] (4) <br> '''Field Goals:''' |
awayscore = '''Tries:''' <br> [[Donald Parry (rugby league)|Donald Parry]] <br>  <br>  <br> '''Goals:''' <br> [[Danny Wilson (rugby)|Danny Wilson]] (2) |
stadium = [[Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié|Stade de l'Egassiarial]], [[Narbonne]] |
attendance = 4,120 |
}}
----
{{Rugbybox |
date = 21 February |
home = {{Rl-rt|ENG}} |
score = 1 – 5 |
away = {{Rl|FRA}} |
homescore = '''Tries:''' <br> '''Goals:''' <br> '''Field Goals:''' [[George Fairbairn (rugby league)|George Fairbairn]] |
awayscore = '''Tries:''' <br> [[Hervé Guiraud (rugby league)|Hervé Guiraud]] <br> '''Goals:''' <br> [[José Moya (rugby league)|José Moya]] (1) |
stadium = [[Headingley Rugby Stadium|Headingley]], [[Leeds]] |
attendance = 3,229 |
}}
----
{{Rugbybox |
date = 18 March |
home = {{Rl-rt|ENG}} |
score = 17 – 4 |
away = {{Rl|WAL}} |
homescore = '''Tries:''' [[John Joyner]] <br> [[Ken Kelly (rugby league)|Ken Kelly]] <br> [[John Woods (rugby league)|John Woods]] <br> '''Goals:''' [[George Fairbairn (rugby league)|George Fairbairn]] (4) <br> '''Field Goals:''' |
awayscore = '''Tries:''' <br>  '''Goals:''' <br> [[Steve Rule]] (2) |
stadium = [[Boothferry Park]], [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]] |
attendance = 4,786 |
}}

===Final standings===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Team !! Played !! Won !! Drew !! Lost !! For !! Against !! Diff !! Points
|-
|align=left| {{Rl|France}} || 2 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 28 || 6 || +22 || 4
|-
|align=left| {{Rl|England}} || 2 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 18 || 9 || +9 || 2
|-
|align=left| {{Rl|Wales}} || 2 || 0 || 0 || 2 || 9 || 40 || −31 || 0
|}

{{Enc}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/european-championship-1980-81/summary.html 1981 European Rugby League Championship] at rugbyleagueproject.com
[[Category:International rugby league competitions hosted by the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:International rugby league competitions hosted by France]]
[[Category:European Nations Cup]]
[[Category:1981 in rugby league|European rugby league championship]]


{{Rugbyleague-competition-stub}}