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| Bledisloe Cup 2012 |
The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) contend played at Eden Park was
first in 1931. There is some dispute as to when the first Bledisloe Cup match
was played. However, no firm evidence has been produced to support this claim,
and minutes from a New Zealand union management meeting several days later
record Lord Bledisloe wishing to present a cup for the All Blacks and Wallabies
to play for. The New Zealand
Rugby Union (NZRU) 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. The
trophy itself was apparently 'lost' during this period and reportedly
rediscovered in a Melbourne store room. In the years 1982 to 1995 it was
contested annually, sometimes as a series of three matches (two in 1995) and
other times in a single match. During these years New Zealand won it 11 times
and Australia three times.
2006 saw the return of the 3-game
contest for Bledisloe as the Tri Nations series was extended so that each team
played each other 3 times. The 2007 Cup, however, reverted to the two-game
contest because the Tri Nations was abbreviated that year to minimise
interference with the teams' preparations for the World Cup.
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