Bledisloe Cup
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Image:Bledisloe cup.jpg 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.
[edit] 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 the New Zealand Rugby Football Union believe that the first match was when New Zealand toured Australia in 1932.
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.
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.
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.
From 2006 onwards, the Bledisloe Cup will again be played for over a 3 match series, as the Tri Nations has been lengthened so that each participating nation plays the others three times instead of twice. This will ensure that in most seasons, a clear winner of the Bledisloe Cup will be found.
Records:
Longest Time Held By Australia: 5 years (1998-2002) Longest Time Held By New Zealand: 28 years (1951-1978)
[edit] Results
[edit] External link
- Bledisloe Cup on rugby.com.au
| Federation: | New Zealand Rugby Football Union |
| National teams: | All Blacks • Junior All Blacks • New Zealand sevens team • New Zealand Māori • Black Ferns |
| International Competitions: | Rugby World Cup • Tri Nations • Super 14 • Pacific Nations Cup • Bledisloe Cup • Churchill Cup • Rugby World Cup Sevens |
| Super 14 teams: | Blues • Chiefs • Crusaders • Highlanders • Hurricanes |
| Domestic Competitions: | Air New Zealand Cup • Heartland Championship • Ranfurly Shield • Hanan Shield |
| Air New Zealand Cup teams: | Auckland • Bay of Plenty • Canterbury • Counties Manukau • Hawke's Bay • Manawatu • North Harbour • Northland • Otago • Southland • Taranaki • Tasman • Waikato • Wellington |
| Heartland Championship teams: | Buller • East Coast • Horowhenua-Kapiti • King Country • Mid Canterbury • North Otago • Poverty Bay • South Canterbury • Thames Valley • Wairarapa Bush • Wanganui • West Coast |
