The Bledisloe Cup is returning for 2022, meaning the rugby squads for both Australia and New Zealand will have their shot at the trophy.
Bledisloe Cup 2022 : Dates | Tickets | Perth tickets
The Bledisloe Cup is an annual rugby union competition originally staged between the national teams of Australia’s Wallabies and New Zealand’s All Blacks that has been contested since the 1930s.
The frequency that the competition is held has varied, as has the number of matches played in each tournament, but it currently consists of an annual three-match series, reduced to a two-match series in World Cup years, with two of the matches counting towards The Rugby Championship.
New Zealand have had the most success, winning the trophy in 2021 for the 49th time (excluding the disputed inaugural competition in 1931), while Australia have won the trophy 12 times.
Semantics plays a role in the issue when was the inaugural Bledisloe Cup match played. The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) contend that the one-off 1931 match played at Eden Park was first.
The only record of a match taking place is recorded in the minutes of a New Zealand union management meeting several days later that Lord Bledisloe wished to present a cup for the All Blacks and Wallabies competition.
The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) believe that the first match was when New Zealand toured Australia in 1932.
Bledisloe cup 2022 dates
The 2022 Bledisloe Cup is played over the final two rounds of the Rugby Championship, which has seen unprecedented levels of competition, with New Zealand on 10 points and the remaining teams all on nine, meaning any side can take home the title.
- Start date : Thursday, 15 September, 2022.
- End date : Saturday, 24 September, 2022.
Neither nation has found consistency this season, with Dave Rennie’s Wallabies failing to win back-to-back matches whilst slumping to their worst defeat to Argentina ever, which was followed by a disappointing loss to the Springboks last time out.
Meanwhile, the All Blacks have endured a poor campaign by their standards but are starting to find their feet after responding to their first defeat to Argentina in New Zealand with a resounding 53-3 win over Los Pumas in their most recent game.
The Wallabies have remarkably been without the Bledisloe Cup since 2002 and know it is going to be an uphill battle against an All Blacks outfit that seems to be finding some form after an onslaught of media pressure earlier in the Test season.
If Thursday’s hosts are to take one step towards ending that 20-year drought, the task is simple: claim a New Zealand scalp in Melbourne before the pair face off again at Eden Park in Auckland next weekend in what would be an epic spectacle.
Tickets
The incredible success of the New Zealand team for almost a century is due to the number of licensees playing in more than 600 teams! With 150,000 players (4% of the population of the country), it is not surprising to see outstanding talents emerge.
| Adult | $45 (NZD) |
|---|---|
| Infant (0—5 years) | FREE |
| Student | $39 (NZD) |
| NZ GoldCard holder (65 years and over) | $39 (NZD) |
| Family, 1 Adult, 2 Children | $90 (NZD) |
To absorb such an astronomical amount of players (not counting weekend players like you and me), there are many levels of championships, perhaps difficult to decipher by the neophyte.
You must, however, assimilate the fundamentals if you dream of attending a rugby match during your stay in New Zealand.
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Perth tickets
Get your Perth tickets for the 2022 Bledisloe Cup. Since the 1930s, the Bledisloe Cup has been contested annually between the national rugby union teams of Australia and New Zealand.
It’s rugby’s biggest rivalry. It is unlike any other competition. Australian fans are hoping for the Qantas Wallabies to bring the cup back to Australia.
It has been confirmed that Melbourne will host a Bledisloe Cup match at the MCG in 2022.
The Test match against New Zealand in 2022 will round out an exciting calendar for Victorian rugby fans, who will also be hosting the touring British and Irish Lions in 2025.
“There is an exciting Test schedule ahead for all of our Victorian Rugby fans,” said Rugby Australia Interim Chief Executive Rob Clarke.
“I know that the Wallabies, and players from around the world, are always extremely excited to play in Melbourne due to the fantastic home support and wonderful hospitality of all Victorians.”
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