Bledisloe to be staged at new venue on eve of World Cup

The Wallabies and the All Blacks will play their first ever Bledisloe Cup match in Western Australia.

The Wallabies will take on the men in black on August 10, 2019, in what will be the first Bledisloe Cup clash in Perth.

Wallabies back Dane Haylett-Petty and former All Black Keven Mealamu joined the Western Australian Minister for Tourism; Racing and Gaming at Optus Stadium in Perth unveil the new venue.

It will be one of the last games for both teams ahead of the World Cup in Japan, which kicks off in September.

“This isn’t just any Test match, this is one of the most important games that the Wallabies will play next year,” said Rugby Australia Chief Raelene Castle in announcing the match on Monday.

“Not just because it’s against our traditional rivals, the All Blacks, but also because it’s one of the last chances to prepare before the Rugby World Cup kicks-off in Japan.”

It is the first time Perth has hosted a Bledisloe fixture and will be a new experience for the All Blacks, who have never played there before.

The city has hosted 15 Wallabies Tests previously. South Africa has featured in eight of them, with Ireland, Argentina, Fiji and England making up Australia’s opponents in the rest, according to Rugby Australia.