The 2026 Bledisloe Cup dates and NZ kick-off times, how the cup is decided, the full All Blacks vs Australia record and recent results.
Bledisloe Cup 2026: All Blacks vs Australia Record and Test Dates
New Zealand have held the Bledisloe Cup every year since 2003, and their 2025 series win stretched that run to 23 years in a row. The 2026 edition is a two-test series against Australia: Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday 10 October, then Stadium Australia in Sydney on Saturday 17 October. This page sets out the dates, the way the cup is decided and the full trans-Tasman record.
Key points
What this article covers: when and where the 2026 Bledisloe Cup tests are played, how the cup is won, and the full All Blacks vs Australia test record.
- The 2026 tests are at Eden Park on 10 October and at Stadium Australia in Sydney on 17 October.
- New Zealand have held the Bledisloe Cup for 23 years in a row, through 2025.
- The All Blacks lead 128 wins to 45, with eight draws, from 181 tests since 1903.
- Australia’s last win at Eden Park came in 1986.
- The teams also meet in Pool A at the 2027 Rugby World Cup, and begin an ANZAC Day Bledisloe tradition in Brisbane from 2027.
Quick facts
| 23 years | New Zealand have held the Bledisloe Cup in a row, through 2025 |
| 181 tests | played against Australia since 1903 |
| 128–45 | New Zealand wins to Australia wins, plus 8 draws |
| 1986 | the last time Australia won at Eden Park |
Bledisloe Cup 2026: dates, venues and kick-off times
The 2026 Bledisloe Cup is being played as a standalone series, because the Rugby Championship is not being held in 2026 as part of a restructure of that competition. The All Blacks come into it straight after their tour of South Africa, which is covered on our All Blacks vs South Africa page.
| Test | Date | Venue | Kick-off (NZ time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| First test | Saturday 10 October 2026 | Eden Park, Auckland | 7:10pm |
| Second test | Saturday 17 October 2026 | Stadium Australia (Accor Stadium), Sydney | 5:45pm |
2026 Bledisloe Cup fixtures. The Sydney test kicks off at 3:45pm local time.
Sydney is two hours behind New Zealand in October, when both countries are on daylight time, so the Sydney kick-off of 3:45pm local time is 5:45pm in New Zealand.
If you are planning to travel to Sydney for the second test, set a budget before you book and compare the cost of any borrowing carefully. A partner site profiles New Zealand lenders such as MTF Finance. Read more about NZ institutes.
How the Bledisloe Cup is decided
The Bledisloe Cup is played as a two-test series in 2026, one match in each country. If the series is drawn, the holder keeps the cup, which is why Australia need to win both tests, or win one and draw the other, to take it off New Zealand.
The format grows again from 2027. The Wallabies and All Blacks will play an ANZAC Day Bledisloe test at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium in 2027, 2029 and 2031 — the first Bledisloe matches ever staged on that day. Each of those years the cup returns to a three-test series, with the remaining two matches played as part of the Rugby Championship, one hosted by New Zealand and one by Australia.
The trophy itself dates from the early 1930s, when Lord Bledisloe, then Governor-General of New Zealand, presented a cup for matches between the two countries. The two unions still disagree over whether the first Bledisloe match was played in 1931 or 1932.
All Blacks vs Australia head-to-head record
The teams first met on 15 August 1903 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where New Zealand won 22–3. By the end of the 2025 season they had played 181 times, making it one of the most-played fixtures in international rugby.
| Where played | Tests | New Zealand wins | Australia wins | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In New Zealand | 84 | 67 | 15 | 2 |
| In Australia | 91 | 57 | 28 | 6 |
| Neutral venues | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 181 | 128 | 45 | 8 |
All Blacks v Australia test record, 1903 to the end of 2025.
The biggest winning margins sit at both ends of modern history. New Zealand’s 43–6 win in Wellington in 1996 is their largest over Australia, while Australia’s best is the 47–26 win in Perth in 2019.
Recent Bledisloe Cup results
| Year | First test | Second test |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | New Zealand 39–37 (Melbourne) | New Zealand 40–14 (Auckland) |
| 2023 | New Zealand 38–7 (Melbourne) | New Zealand 23–20 (Dunedin) |
| 2024 | New Zealand 31–28 (Sydney) | New Zealand 33–13 (Wellington) |
| 2025 | New Zealand 33–24 (Auckland) | New Zealand 28–14 (Perth) |
Bledisloe Cup results since the current run of two-test series.
The 28–14 Perth win in October 2025 was New Zealand’s 11th in a row against Australia, the longest streak in the rivalry. Australia’s most recent win over the All Blacks came in November 2020, and the last time they held the Bledisloe Cup was 2002.
The All Blacks reached the 2025 Bledisloe having earlier beaten Argentina in Cordoba, where they secured a convincing win before losing in Buenos Aires a week later. The Auckland test against Australia was closer than the score suggests: the Wallabies came back from 20–3 down to trail 20–17 at half-time before Cam Roigard’s two tries settled it. The full Argentina results are on our All Blacks vs Argentina results page.
Eden Park, the All Blacks’ fortress against Australia
Australia have not won at Eden Park since 1986, when they took the third test of that year’s series 22–9. The All Blacks as a whole have not lost a test at the ground since 1994, a run that reached 52 tests unbeaten after the 2025 Bledisloe win.
That record will be on the line again on 10 October. It is worth keeping in perspective: a streak built over three decades says a lot about home advantage, but it does not decide any single match on its own.
The 2027 World Cup meeting
The rivalry gains an extra fixture in 2027. New Zealand and Australia are drawn together in Pool A at the Rugby World Cup in Australia, and they meet at Stadium Australia in Sydney on Saturday 9 October 2027, kicking off at 5:10pm local time, which is 7:10pm in New Zealand. Pool A also contains Chile and Hong Kong China, and it is the first time the two nations have met in a World Cup pool stage.
Betting on the Bledisloe Cup from New Zealand
TAB NZ is the only operator legally allowed to offer online sports and racing betting to people in New Zealand, and you must be 18 or over. Offshore bookmakers are not permitted to take bets from people here; the Department of Internal Affairs warns they may not offer the same protections or pay out.
Our rugby betting guide explains how line and head-to-head markets work, and the TAB NZ overview covers deposit limits and other tools. For the All Blacks’ November tests, see our All Blacks vs England page.
Responsible gambling and important information
Please read: This page is general sports information for readers aged 18 and over. It is not betting, financial or legal advice, and it does not encourage anyone to gamble. Since 28 June 2025, TAB NZ has been the only operator allowed to offer online racing and sports betting to people in New Zealand. If gambling is causing problems for you or someone close to you, free and confidential help is available 24/7 from the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 655 or free text 8006. The Problem Gambling Foundation also offers free counselling.
Sources
- Wikipedia — 2026 Bledisloe Cup
- rugby.com.au — Wallabies, All Blacks lock in ANZAC Day Bledisloe Cup test in Brisbane
- Wikipedia — History of rugby union matches between Australia and New Zealand
- Eden Park — All Blacks v Australia, Saturday 10 October 2026
- Planet Rugby — Bledisloe Cup: everything to know about the trans-Tasman rivalry
- All Blacks — All Blacks’ Rugby World Cup 2027 campaign to kick off against Chile
Frequently asked questions
When is the 2026 Bledisloe Cup?
The first test is at Eden Park on Saturday 10 October 2026 at 7:10pm. The second is at Stadium Australia in Sydney on Saturday 17 October, at 3:45pm Sydney time, which is 5:45pm in New Zealand.
How long have the All Blacks held the Bledisloe Cup?
Since 2003. Winning the 2025 series meant New Zealand had held the cup for 23 years in a row.
When did Australia last win the Bledisloe Cup?
Australia last held the cup in 2002. Their most recent win over the All Blacks in any test was in November 2020.
What is the All Blacks’ record against Australia?
The teams have played 181 tests since 1903, with New Zealand winning 128, Australia 45 and eight drawn.
What happens if the Bledisloe Cup series is drawn?
The holder keeps the cup, so a 1–1 series would leave it with New Zealand.
Will there be a Bledisloe test on ANZAC Day?
Yes. The teams will play ANZAC Day tests at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane in 2027, 2029 and 2031, the first Bledisloe matches ever played on that day.
