Perth to host first ever Bledisloe Cup Test in 2019
Perth Stadium will play host to the state’s first ever Bledisloe Cup match when the Qantas Wallabies and New Zealand clash at the new 60,000-capacity Western Australian venue in 2019.
The 2019 Rugby Championship fixture will be the only Bledisloe Cup Test played in Australia that year before the two countries embark on their Rugby World Cup campaign in Japan.
ARU CEO, Bill Pulver said: “We are very proud to be bringing Western Australia its first ever Bledisloe Cup Test and are very grateful for the support of the WA Government, through Tourism Western Australia, which has enabled us to make this historic match a reality.
“The 2019 Bledisloe Cup match will be one of the first major events played at the new Perth Stadium after its completion in 2018. It will also be a vital clash for both teams, being their one and only clash in The Rugby Championship that year, on the eve of the Rugby World Cup.
“Having toured the construction site at Perth Stadium this year, I have seen firsthand what a world class sporting facility and entertainment precinct it is going to provide for the people of Western Australia. A packed stadium of 60,000 screaming Aussies and New Zealanders for a huge Bledisloe Cup Test is a tantalising prospect.”
WA Premier and Tourism Minister, Colin Barnett said: “It is a great coup for Western Australia to host this spectacular sporting event at our magnificent new Perth Stadium.
“It will be the only time the All Blacks and the Wallabies play on Australian soil in 2019 in the lead up to the Rugby World Cup and we expect thousands of people to travel to Perth from the eastern states and overseas for the game.
“The match will be broadcast across Australia and internationally, providing a great platform to show off our transforming city and world-class new stadium to the world.”
Perth hosted its first Rugby Test in 1998 when the Qantas Wallabies lost to the Springboks 14-13 at Subiaco Oval. The city has played host to 15 Wallabies Tests in total, with the most recent being the 2016 Rugby Championship clash with Argentina at nib Stadium in July, won 36-20 by Australia.
South Africa are the most visited team to WA having featured in 8 of the 15 Tests played in Perth, with Ireland (3), Argentina (2), Fiji (1) and England (1) making up the Wallabies’ opponents in the other seven matches played in the city to date.
The Qantas Wallabies will clash with the Springboks yet again in Perth next year in a Rugby Championship fixture on September 9 at nib Stadium.
Today marked two years since the start of construction on Perth Stadium, which is on schedule to open in early 2018.
The date for the 2019 Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Test between the Qantas Wallabies and New Zealand at Perth Stadium will be confirmed in the coming year.
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