Scotland to face All Blacks in New Zealand for first time in 27 years ahead of 2027 World Cup

Scotland will face the All Blacks in New Zealand for the first time in 27 years, with a Test at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin confirmed as a pre-Rugby World Cup fixture in 2027, according to a report by BBC Sport Scotland. The match will be Scotland’s last warm-up game before they travel to Australia for their World Cup opener against Uruguay.

The last time Scotland played a Test in New Zealand was in 2000, when they were beaten 48-14 by the All Blacks at Eden Park in Auckland. A planned visit in 2020 was abandoned due to Covid-19 restrictions, making the 2027 fixture a long-awaited return.

For the host venue, it will also mark a notable occasion — Forsyth Barr Stadium has not staged an All Blacks match since 2025, when New Zealand played France during the July internationals.

The fixture adds to an increasingly demanding pre-tournament schedule for the All Blacks. New Zealand are now set to play up to eight Tests before the World Cup begins, a significant step up from the five they played ahead of the 2023 tournament in France. That 2023 programme included four Tests in New Zealand followed by a warm-up match against South Africa at Twickenham.

The expanded 2027 slate includes a three-match Bledisloe Cup series against Australia, with the opening game scheduled for Anzac weekend in Brisbane in April. A full Rugby Championship is also planned, with each of the four participating nations playing six matches — two against each rival. That represents a considerable increase on recent World Cup years, when the Rugby Championship was trimmed to just three fixtures per team to protect player welfare ahead of the tournament.

Scotland is the first opponent publicly reported as part of the All Blacks’ pre-World Cup programme. The two sides will also meet much sooner than that, with a fixture at Murrayfield scheduled for next month as part of the opening weekend of the Nations Championship.