Wallabies and All Blacks to launch Anzac Day Bledisloe Cup tradition at Brisbane from 2027

Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby have announced a new Anzac Day Bledisloe Cup fixture to be staged at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane across three editions — 2027, 2029, and 2031 — creating what both governing bodies are billing as a permanent trans-Tasman sporting tradition.

The inaugural match will kick off on Sunday, 25 April 2027, in an early afternoon time slot described as family-friendly. The 2029 fixture falls on a Wednesday in April, and the 2031 edition on a Friday. All three Tests are supported by the Queensland Government.

New Zealand Rugby CEO Steve Lancaster pointed to Brisbane’s large Kiwi diaspora as a central factor in choosing the city as the exclusive host. “New Zealand and Australia share a special and unique bond built on sporting rivalries, friendship and those men and women who have served our countries in global conflicts, some making the ultimate sacrifice in doing so,” Lancaster said. “Playing the Bledisloe Cup on Anzac Day creates a unique trans-Tasman sporting occasion that honours our countries’ shared history and cultures, while bringing people together through rugby.”

Lancaster also framed the fixture within the broader Super Rugby Pacific calendar, noting that early-season selection intrigue ahead of the Anzac Test would give fans an additional reason to follow the competition from its opening rounds.

Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh echoed that sentiment, emphasising the weight of the occasion against the backdrop of more than a century of rivalry between the two nations. “The 123-year history of Australia and New Zealand rugby is renowned and revered across the globe, and the first ever staging of an Anzac Day Bledisloe Cup Test will, we believe, create a new trans-Tasman sporting tradition that will bring our nations together and reinforce our shared values,” Waugh said.

The Bledisloe Cup, contested annually between the Wallabies and the All Blacks, has been dominated by New Zealand for more than two decades. Australia last held the trophy in 2002, making the new fixture a high-profile opportunity for the Wallabies — who are in the midst of a rebuild under coach Joe Schmidt — to reset the rivalry on a stage with added national significance.