The Bledisloe Cup has been played between rival trans-Tasman nations since the 1930s – New Zealand holds 46 titles to Australia’s 12.
New Zealand’s All Blacks have entered their 16th year dominating the series, having ended the Wallabies’ last and longest winning streak in 2002.
Fast Facts
-1932 is the first official year of the Bledisloe Cup after Lord Bledisloe (the then Governor General of New Zealand) decided to award a trophy for all the matches between Australia and New Zealand
-Australia has won 12 Bledisloe Cup series - 1936, 1949, 1979, 1980, 1986, 1992, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
-New Zealand holds the longest winning streak of the Bledisloe Cup - 28 years! (1951 to 1978)
-Australia’s longest winning streak of the series is 5 years (1998 to 2002)
-Eden Park Fortress - The Wallabies haven’t won a game against the All Blacks at Eden Park in Auckland since 1986!
-The first Bledisloe Cup match to be played outside the two nations was 2008 in Hong Kong
Australia's Most Successful Rugby Era
The late ’90s – early 2000s were the golden years for Australian Rugby, as the Wallabies relished their longest winning-streak in Bledisloe Cup history. Captained under the great John Eales, then the ‘little general’ George Gregan, the game in Australia enjoyed record success and popularity.
Check out our gallery of Bledisloe Cup Wallaby greats!
During these years the game attracted several heavy-hitting Rugby League players including the likes of Mat Rogers, Wendell Sailor, and Lote Tuqiri, bringing with them a wealth of high-level professional experience, skill, and importantly, a bevy of new fans to the code.
Check out our gallery of greatest Rugby Union converts.
What it Means to Win the Bledisloe Cup
The Bledisloe Cup is arguably the pinnacle of competition for Australian Rugby Union. The almighty All Blacks are fierce competitors, on both the local and global stage. They’ve heavily the dominated the competition throughout the series history – particularly over the last decade. For this reason, a Bledisloe win for Wallabies means success in the eyes of dedicated fans and revives the love of the game for the wider community.
Join the team for all the analysis, action and electric atmosphere live on TEN and streaming live on tenplay.
The action continues as the Wallabies take on the All Blacks in round two of the Bledisloe Cup, broadcast LIVE on TEN and streamed LIVE on tenplay from 5.00pm AEDT, Saturday 25th August 2018
