Bledisloe Cup
|
|
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.
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 is 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.
Since 1999 the third match has not been played, Australia and New Zealand play each other twice as part of the Tri Nations for the cup. If each team wins one of these games, or if the holder wins one game and the other is drawn, or if both games are drawn, the cup is retained by its current holder. The non-holder must win the two games 2-0 or 1-0 (with a draw) to regain the Cup.
The first game of the 2004 Bledisloe Cup (played in Wellington on July 17) was a 16-7 victory to New Zealand, and as they were the current holders of the cup, they retained it, regardless of the result of the second match, which was won by Australia 23-18 in Sydney on August 7.
Results
| Year | Winner | Matches won by Australia | Matches drawn | Matches won by New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1934 | Australia | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1936 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1938 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1946 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1947 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1949 | Australia | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1951 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1952 | New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1955 | New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1957 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1958 | New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1962 | New Zealand | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 1964 | New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1967 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1968 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1972 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1974 | New Zealand | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1978 | New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1979 | Australia | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980 | Australia | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1982 | New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1984 | New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1985 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1986 | Australia | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1988 | New Zealand | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1989 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1990 | New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1991 | New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1992 | Australia | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1994 | Australia | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1996 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1997 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1998 | Australia | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | Australia | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2000 | Australia | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2001 | Australia | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | Australia | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2003 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2004 | New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 1 |