The Rugby Championship is just around the corner and we all know what comes along with that – another instalment of the storied Bledisloe Cup. For those keen to experience the matches in-venue or from the comfort of the couch, it’s time to plan.
In a year that won’t be short of rugby for the sport’s diehard fans, which of course includes the World Cup kicking off in September, the Rugby Championship is sure to be great preparation for the four competing nations.
The eleventh iteration of the tournament will start in early July in South Africa, as the Wallabies head to the den of the reigning Rugby World Cup champions hoping to cause an upset.
After a trip to Pretoria, the Wallabies will enjoy back-to-back home matches before heading to Dunedin for second and final match of the Bledisloe Cup.
For the first time in 16 years, the Melbourne Cricket Ground will not only host the opening matchup between the All Blacks and the Wallabies, it will also be the venue’s first Rugby game since 2007.
With not long until the opening match of the Rugby Championship, here’s what all fans need to know as the tournament draws closer.
Rugby Championship fixture – When, where and who?
Australia, New Zealand, South Africa & Argentina
With a Rugby World Cup just on the horizon, this year’s Rugby Championship schedule has been altered with each of the four teams set to play each other once instead of the regular home-and-away fixture.
Streaming service Stan Sport – as well as 9 Now – will be broadcasting every game of the tournament live and on demand with free-to-air Channel 9 expected to show all of the Wallabies matches.
Here’s the Rugby Championship fixtures for the 2023 tournament:
(Australia’s games are in bold)
The times provided are Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST)
July 9 | South Africa v Australia | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria – 1:05am
July 9 | Argentina v New Zealand | Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza – 5:10am
July 15 | New Zealand v South Africa | Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland – 5:05pm
July 15 | Australia v Argentina | CommBank Stadium, Sydney – 7:45pm
July 29 | Australia v New Zealand | MCG, Melbourne – 7.45pm **Bledisloe Cup**
July 30 | South Africa vs Argentina | Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg – 1:05am
August 5 | New Zealand v Australia | Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin – 12:35pm **Bledisloe Cup**
First words that come to mind when the boys hear 'New Zealand' 🇳🇿🏉
— Wallabies (@wallabies) May 17, 2023
Tickets for our Bledisloe Cup clash at the MCG are on sale now! Get yours here: https://t.co/Y8XoimqJ6t#Wallabies @eToroAU pic.twitter.com/WSyq0TKGZC
Where can you get tickets to the Rugby Championship?
Tickets for the Wallabies home matches of the Rugby Championship, against Argentina in Sydney and the All Blacks in Melbourne, are available for purchasing on the rugby.com.au website.
They are also available through Ticketek for Australian based games.
Who won the 2022 Rugby Championship?
NEW ZEALAND
In the decade of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand have won the tournament eight times including the 2022 series which was their second consecutive win.
The only other nations to win the Rugby Championship were Australia in 2015 and South Africa in 2019.
When was the last time Australia held the Bledisloe Cup?
2002
It’s well documented that the All Blacks have dominated the Bledisloe Cup for far too long. But this year marks 21 years since the Wallabies last held the trophy back in 2002.
In 2002 the series finished 1-1, meaning Australia retained. But the Wallabies handed it over in the 2003 series.
Since then, Australia have come close four times with drawn Bledisloe Cups in 2004, 2011, 2015 and 2019. But they are still yet to win a series outright in over 20 years. Their record in matches across the ditch is largely the reason for the drought. It’s been decades since the Wallabies won in Eden Park, for example (1986).
