The Bledisloe Cup: An Age Old Trans-Tasman Rivalry

The first test between Australia and New Zealand took place on 15 August 1903 in Sydney, Australia, a fixture that the visitors won 22–3 on that occasion. 

Currently the rivalry is one of the most played of any two international rugby union teams, having faced off against each other 175 times

However, 28 years later from their first fixture in 1931, the world would witness the first Bledisloe Cup fixture between the two nations. The Bledisloe Cup is a coveted trophy contested by the two trans-Tasman nations, the All Blacks and Wallabies.

Named after New Zealand’s governor-general, Lord Bledisloe who was a rugby fan, he also commissioned the Cup to fuel the rivalry between the two great rugby playing nations. The Bledisloe Cup remains one of the most popular contests in trans-Tasman sport.

The frequency of the Bledisloe Cup has been varied along with the number of matches played each year. Since 1982 it has been played annually and consists of a three-match series, with two of the matches played as part of the Rugby Championship, whilst the rivalry is reduced to a two-match series in the Rugby World Cup year.

The three-match format for the Bledisloe Cup continued in 2012, with the first two matches taking place as part of the 2012 Rugby Championship.

The All Blacks remain the overall champions, taking their 50th Bledisloe Cup title in 2022, and the last 20 titles in a row, while Australia has only claimed 12 titles.