The Bledisloe Cup

Rugby Union's Bledisloe Cup is contested between Australia's Wallabies and New Zealand's All Blacks. It is named for Lord Bledisloe, the Governor-General of New Zealand who donated the trophy in 1931. If the All Blacks and Wallabies play each other in a non-Tri Nations game (e.g. they are drawn to play each other at a World Cup), the Bledisloe Cup is not on offer. Image File history File links Bledisloe_cup. ... Image File history File links Bledisloe_cup. ... For other uses, see Rugby (disambiguation). ... First international Australia 13 - 3 British Isles (24 June 1899) Largest win Australia  142 - 0  Namibia (25 October 2003) Worst defeat South Africa  61 - 22  Australia (23 August 1997) World Cup Appearances 6 (First in 1987) Best result Champions, 1991, 1999 The Australian national rugby union team is the representative... First international  Australia 3 - 22 New Zealand  (15 August 1903) Largest win  New Zealand 145 - 17 Japan  (4 June 1995) Worst defeat  Australia 28 - 7 New Zealand  (28 August 1999) World Cup Appearances 6 (First in 1987) Best result Champions, 1987 The All Blacks are New Zealands national rugby... Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe, GCMG, KBE, PC (September 21, 1867 - July 3, 1958). ... The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the Sovereign in right of New Zealand (currently, Queen Elizabeth II). ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Tri Nations Trophy The Tri Nations Series is an annual international rugby union series held between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. ...

The trophy was designed in New Zealand by Nelson Issac, and crafted by Walker and Hall in London. It is the largest trophy in world rugby. This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

History

There is some dispute as to when the first Bledisloe Cup match was first played. The Australian Rugby Union contend that the one-off 1931 match played at Eden Park was first. However, no firm evidence has been produced to support this claim, and minutes from a New Zealand Union management meeting several days later record Lord Bledisloe wishing to present a cup for the All Blacks and Wallabies to play for. The New Zealand Rugby Football Union believe that the first match was when New Zealand toured Australia in 1932. The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) is the governing body of rugby union in Australia. ... Eden Park is the main sports ground in Auckland, New Zealand for both rugby union during winter, and cricket in summer. ... The New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU) (also known as the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU)) is the governing body of rugby union in New Zealand. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Between 1931 and 1981 it was contested irregularly in the course of rugby tours between the two countries. New Zealand won it 19 times and Australia four times in this period. In the years 1982 to 1995 it was contested annually, sometimes as a series of three matches and other times in a single match. During these years New Zealand won it 11 times and Australia three times. Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ...

Since 1996 the cup has been contested as part of the annual Tri Nations tournament. Until 1998 the cup was contested in a three match series: the two Tri Nations matches between these sides and a third match. New Zealand won these series in 1996 and 1997, and Australia won it in 1998. Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a single sport or game. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ...

From 1999 through 2005, the third match was not played; during those years, Australia and New Zealand played each other twice as part of the Tri Nations for the cup. If both teams won one of these games, or if both games were drawn, the cup was retained by its current holder. The non-holder had to win the two games 2-0 or 1-0 (with a draw) to regain the Cup. A criticism of this system was that with the closeness in the level of ability between the two sides, years where each team won one game each were very common (1999, 2000, 2002, 2004) and in these years, many rugby fans felt dissatisfied with one team keeping the cup in a series tied at 1-1. In 2000, the Bledisloe was retained by Australia when John Eales kicked a goal from the sideline in the final moments of the match. Another one of the most dramatic matches was played on September 1 of 2001 at Stadium Australia, in what would be Wallaby great John Eales' last ever test. Australians were hoping to send their skipper off in a grand style. A fairy tale ending was looking right in the first half when the Wallabies held a solid 19 to six lead over the All Blacks. However, tries to Doug Howlett and Pita Alatini, along with Andrew Mehrtens kicking, saw the All Blacks back in front 26 to 22. However in the dying moments of the game no.8 Toutai Kefu scored the winning try for Australia. This article is about the year. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Eales AM (born 27 June 1970) is a former Australian rugby union footballer and arguably the most successful captain in the history of Australian Rugby. ... This page is for Telstra Stadium, Sydney. ... Douglas Charles Howlett is a professional New Zealand rugby union player. ... Pita Faiva-ki-moana Alatini (born 11 April, 1976 in Nukualofa) is a Tongan-born New Zealand rugby union footballer. ... Andrew Philip Mehrtens MNZM (born 28 April 1973 in Durban, South Africa) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who has been one of the top fly-halves (or first five-eighths) in the world since the advent of the sports professional era in the mid-1990s. ... Toutai Kefu (born April 8, 1974 in Tonga) is a rugby player who won 60 caps playing at Number eight for the Australian rugby union side (the Wallabies). ...

2006 saw the return of the 3 game contest for Bledisloe as the Tri Nations series was extended so that each team played each other 3 times. 2007 however reverted back to the 2 game contest because of the World Cup.

Nowadays this trophy is played out to decide which is the 7th and 8th best Rugby Union side in the world. Both sides having been overtaken by South Africa, England, Argentina, France, Fiji and Scotland in the world order.

Results

Note that if each team won an even amount of games in that years series then the trophy would go to the team who won the cup the previous year.

The two countries playing in 2005 at Telstra Stadium in Sydney

Image File history File links All_Blacks_Wallabies. ... Image File history File links All_Blacks_Wallabies. ... This page is for Telstra Stadium, Sydney. ...

Records

Most titles won:

1. New Zealand - 35
2. Australia - 12

Longest time held by Australia: 5 years (1998-2002) (5 Titles) Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ...

Longest time held by New Zealand: 42 years (1936-1978) (17 Titles)

References

• Bledisloe Cup on rugby.com.au