Arabic version: ملعب ملبورن للكريكيت يضمن استضافة اختبارات كأس بليديسلو في 2027 و2029
According to ABC News, Rugby Australia and the Victorian government have agreed to a multi-year deal that will bring Wallabies-All Blacks matches to the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2027 and 2029. The 2029 fixture will be an additional Bledisloe Cup Test.
The agreement has raised hopes that the Bledisloe Cup could return permanently to a three-Test format. Brisbane is scheduled to host the first Anzac Day Bledisloe Cup Test next April, creating a three-match series for the first time since 2021. Brisbane has also secured rights to the 2029 Anzac Day Test and the 2031 instalment.
Rugby Australia officials did not confirm whether three-Test series will continue beyond next year. They were also unsure whether 2028 would follow the 2027 format, as no Anzac Day Test has been announced for that year. The Wallabies have not held the Bledisloe Cup since 2002 and have not won both Tests since the contest became a two-game duel in 2022.
Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh said the Wallabies were proud to host the All Blacks at the MCG in 2027. The teams have played four previous Tests at the venue, winning two each. Their last MCG meeting, in 2023, drew 83,944 spectators, then the largest rugby attendance in more than 20 years. Australia and New Zealand will also meet in Pool A at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Sydney.
