2012 Bledisloe Cup Win vs Australia

Lore & Background

The inaugural match is disputed: the ARU considers the 1931 one-off match at Eden Park as first, while the NZRU believes the first match was in 1932. Between 1931 and 1981, the cup was contested irregularly, with New Zealand winning 19 times and Australia 4 times. Since 1996, the cup has been part of the Tri Nations (later The Rugby Championship). The format has varied between two and three matches per series.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Westpac Stadium was thick with humidity and anticipation as the teams emerged from the tunnel. The Wallabies looked small against the imposing wall of black jerseys. When the whistle blew, it wasn't a contest; it was an execution. Dan Carter's boot found the corner, then another, then another. The Australian defense, usually a fortress of grit, crumbled under the relentless pressure of New Zealand's line speed. By halftime, the score was already insurmountable, but the All Blacks had no mercy in their eyes. They chased every loose ball, tackled with bruising force, and ran through gaps that didn't exist. As the final whistle blew on a 60-0 scoreline, the silence from the Australian bench spoke louder than any roar of victory.

Reader's Guide

As of 2025, the Bledisloe Cup consists of an annual two-match series, with matches counting towards The Rugby Championship. If the series is tied, the cup is retained by the current holder.

Did You Know?

• The trophy was reportedly 'lost' and rediscovered in a Melbourne store room.
• In 2008, a Bledisloe Cup match was played in Hong Kong, the first time Australia and New Zealand played in a third country outside the Rugby World Cup.
• Japan hosted Bledisloe Cup matches in 2009 (Tokyo) and 2018 (Yokohama), the latter setting a record attendance of about 46,000 for a rugby test match in Japan.