Rugby League World Cup 2013: USA's inspiring win in Bristol

By George Riley BBC Sport

The USA's World Cup win over the Cook Islands in Bristol was one of the most uplifting and heartening nights I've had covering rugby league in years.

A vocal, passionate crowd largely unfamiliar with the sport, enjoyed a wet and windy moment of league history in a union stranglehold. It gave an often battered game another shot in the arm.
As excited as I have been about this competition, this fixture was the one that always worried me, both on and off the pitch. Would there be enough, or any appetite for the game from curious Bristolians? And would two teams without a single World Cup win between them be able to put on any kind of show for those who did brave the horrendous conditions to give it a go?
My confidence was not hugely lifted when I saw the USA's coach driver rushing into the dressing rooms to change into the Tom the Eagle mascot costume either. Yet it worked. All of it.

More than 7,000 fans watched a compelling contest and a moment of history as the 1,000-1 outsiders beat the tournament's smallest competing nation, and the locals loved it. Most supported the Cook Islands, "oohing" and "aahing" at every big hit, although the chant of "there's only one Cook Islands" did have to be corrected to 15.
David Fairleigh's team, who competed in 2000 but didn't win a game, had enjoyed 10 days in Bristol to prepare. "We have enjoyed our time here," he told me in the tunnel before kick-off. "The people have been great with us, and the interaction with schools and communities has been fantastic."
When the World Cup schedule was drawn up and venues announced, I understand this was the one single fixture that most concerned organisers in terms of sales and interest. Tickets were sold for £10 and it paid off