Rugby fans across the region are pretty happy today, with an additional Anzac Day Bledisloe Cup Test announced for Brisbane, putting one of rugby’s biggest occasions just up the road from some of the country’s most passionate rugby communities.
Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby have confirmed that Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane will host a third Bledisloe Cup Test on Anzac Day from 2027, with the venue locked in for the 2027, 2029 and 2031 series. The move returns the Bledisloe Cup to a three-game series for the first time since 2021.
For the Wallabies, who have not held the Bledisloe Cup since 2002, the additional Test is a much-needed extra opportunity to end the long drought. Since the series became a two-game contest in 2022, Australia has been unable to win both matches. A three-game format makes it possible, at least in theory, to split the first two Tests and still win the series.
Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh said the announcement marked a historic moment for the game on both sides of the Tasman.
“This is an historic day for Australian, New Zealand and international rugby.
“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.”
New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Lancaster said Brisbane’s strong Kiwi community made it a natural fit.
“We see this as a huge opportunity to work in partnership with Rugby Australia to grow the game in a key market.
“The Anzac Day Test adds another key moment during the Super Rugby Pacific season as the early rounds will have the added element of selection intrigue ahead of this match.”
The fixture is also expected to generate around $10 million to be split between the two unions, though questions remain about how the game will compete with the NRL and AFL fixtures that have long dominated Anzac Day, and whether Super Rugby Pacific will pause around the Test.
The 2027 match will kick off in the early afternoon. Additional trans-Tasman fixtures and venues are expected to be announced in due course.
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