All Blacks v Wallabies Anzac Day Bledisloe Cup clashes given green light for Brisbane
Sunday, 28 June 2026
The All Blacks and Wallabies will meet in an historic Anzac Day Bledisloe Cup clash next year, with New Zealand conceding hosting rights for the significant new trans-Tasman sporting event.
In what had been a long-talked about prospect, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and Rugby Australia on Sunday announced the start of a new tradition, with three tests locked in for April 25 of 2027 (a Sunday), 2029 (a Wednesday) and 2031 (a Friday).
Those will all take place at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, in a deal supported by the Queensland Government, with the series in those years reverting to three-game ones, with the remaining two matches to be played as part of the Rugby Championship later in the year.
However, in 2028 and 2030, due to the Nations Championship (staged in July and November windows), the Bledisloe will remain a two-match series (as it is this year in October), with one fixture each split across the ditch, with neither of them being an Anzac Day one.
It will mean an inconsistent start to the new April 25 contests (which will start next year in a family-friendly afternoon kickoff slot), but a start nonetheless, after NZR had initially declared a reluctance for the concept, but with new All Blacks coach Dave Rennie understood to be a fan of it.
“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,” NZR chief executive Steve Lancaster noted in the statement announcing the Brisbane games.
“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.
“Rugby Australia is an important partner for us, and a strong game in Australia is good for rugby in New Zealand. Brisbane has long been seen as a home away from home with a large New Zealand population living there and we see this as a huge opportunity to work in partnership with Rugby Australia to grow the game in a key market.
“We know the team will embrace the challenge of two matches in Australia and look forward to them playing in front of the thousands of New Zealanders who now call it home, and the many we know will head across the Tasman for the match.”
Staging an Anzac Day match will also obviously have some effect on Super Rugby Pacific, be it the top players being pulled out for a week, or two, or whether the competition takes a full stop around that time.
Sunday’s release stated Super Rugby Pacific “is set to confirm the 2027 competition format in the coming weeks”, also, of course, now working on a revised 10-team format given the withdrawal of Moana Pasifika.
“The Anzac Day Bledisloe 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,” Lancaster said.
“We've worked closely with our clubs to ensure it gives fans another compelling reason to engage with the competition across the season.”