PERTH TO HOST WALLABIES BLOCKBUSTERS AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA AND NEW ZEALAND

Jan 30 • Australia, General News, International, National, Rugby Championship News, The Rugby Championship • 1274 Views • Comments Off on PERTH TO HOST WALLABIES BLOCKBUSTERS AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA AND NEW ZEALAND

Perth is set to become the centre of the Rugby universe over the next two years with the World Champion Springboks and All Blacks set to visit Optus Stadium to take on the Qantas Wallabies.

The two blockbuster Tests, secured for Perth by Tourism WA, will be played on the heels of a sold-out maiden Bledisloe Cup fixture at Optus Stadium last August. On a night where attendance and points-scoring records were shattered, the Wallabies caused a major boilover with a 47-26 victory over their Trans-Tasman rivals in the first Bledisloe Cup Test ever played in the West.

The unforgettable clash in last year’s Rugby Championship sets the scene for a mouthwatering rematch when the two sides battle again at the world-class venue in the 2021 Bledisloe Cup series, on a date to be confirmed.

But fans in the West won’t need to need wait until then to pull out their green and gold, with the Springboks, fresh from their Rugby World Cup triumph in Japan, set to visit the Wallabies in just eight months’ time for a crucial 2020 Rugby Championship clash on August 29.

It will be the first visit to Perth since 2017, and first match on Optus Stadium for the World Champions who will set about defending their Rugby Championship title from last year when the series returns to its full home-and-away format in 2020.

The 2019 Trans-Tasman double-header featuring the Qantas Wallabies and Buildcorp Wallaroos against New Zealand set a new attendance record of more than 61,000 for a sporting event at Optus Stadium, with close to 7,400 visitors travelling to Perth for the historic event and pouring more than $12.5 million into the WA economy through visitor spend.

Rugby Australia Chief Executive Raelene Castle said: “Rugby fans in Western Australia have got much to look forward to over the next two winters, it really doesn’t get bigger than a clash with the World Champions and the Bledisloe Cup for the Qantas Wallabies.

“The double-header at Optus Stadium in 2019 was a huge success on every front – from a fan perspective, from an event perspective, and obviously from a team performance perspective for the Wallabies. It has whet the appetite for more, and now we have locked in two world-class fixtures over the next two years at one of the country’s premier Stadiums.

“We look forward to welcoming fans from both countries, as well as from all over Australia to Perth to experience it for themselves.

Western Australia Tourism Minister Paul Papalia said: “Locking in these two great rugby union rivalries is good news for our State’s tourism industry.

“Both South Africa and New Zealand are in WA’s top five countries of birth, so we’re expecting lots of local expats to jump at the chance to see these games. We’re also encouraging them to invite their friends and family to visit them in Perth and combine a family catch-up with some world-class rugby.

“When we last hosted the Bledisloe Cup here, the total spend by visiting rugby fans for that event alone was more than $12.5 million, so locking in two Rugby Championships events is an incredible win for the State in terms of supporting small businesses and jobs.”

Western Australia Sport and Recreation Minister Mick Murray said: “The Wallabies-Springboks match will be the world champions’ only visit to Australia in 2020, providing a real drawcard for ex-pats from around the country to visit Perth for the clash.

“People voted with their feet at Perth’s first Bledisloe Cup last year, and we’re looking forward to building on that terrific success with the follow up in 2021.”