ANZ Stadium is gearing up for a further 10 years of magic Bledisloe Cup moments following the announcement of a new deal between the Australian Rugby Union and Events NSW.

On Saturday 7 March, NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell was at ANZ Stadium to announce the agreement which will see the coveted Bledisloe Cup remain at the world-class venue until at least 2021.

The deal, which starts next year, was made on the back of an agreement between the ARU and New Zealand Rugby Union to play the Bledisloe Cup series over three Test matches on an annual basis for the next 10 years.

The ANZ Stadium Test will open the Bledisloe series each year and, in fantastic news for local, interstate and international fans, will be played as a ‘same time, same place’ event.

ANZ Stadium Managing Director, Daryl Kerry, who was among the guests at the announcement, said: “There’s something very special about the relationship between the Bledisloe Cup and ANZ Stadium.

“Since opening in 1999, ANZ Stadium has seen countless Bledisloe highlights. There’s been world record crowds, last-gasp victories, jaw-dropping individual feats – not to mention the 2000 Test dubbed the ‘greatest rugby game ever’.

“To secure this iconic event for at least 10 more years is fantastic news for Sydney sports fans.

“The future of ANZ Stadium’s event calendar looks bright with the Bledisloe sitting pretty alongside other marquee events such as the NRL Grand Final, State of Origin and international Twenty20 cricket.”

Almost 900,000 fans have witnessed a Bledisloe Cup from the ANZ Stadium grandstands since 1999. Across 10 games, the average crowd stands at close to 87,000.

The 109,874 attendance at the 2000 Bledisloe Cup match at ANZ Stadium remains a world record rugby crowd.
The previous record – 107,042 in 1999 – was also a Bledisloe Cup match at ANZ Stadium.

ARU Managing Director and CEO, John O’Neill A.O, said: “The new 10-year deal is a significant vote of confidence in the game from the NSW State Government and Events NSW.

“The Bledisloe Cup is our jewel in the crown domestically and arguably the most fiercely contested and high-profile silverware on offer in the game after the Rugby World Cup.
“We are delighted the NSW Government has acknowledged the importance of the Bledisloe Cup by ensuring Sydney plays host to a Test between the Qantas Wallabies and the All Blacks from 2012 to 2021.”

From 2012, the Bledisloe Cup will sit within the new four-nation competition involving Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina.

The second Bledisloe Cup match will be staged in New Zealand the week after the ANZ Stadium Test for the term of the deal.

The third Bledisloe Cup Test, to be played at the conclusion of the four-nation tournament, will alternate between Australia and New Zealand.