■The Ultimate Symbol of the World’s Best

  This very large and very famous silver cup is named after Lord Bledisloe, a former Governor-General of New Zealand (1930~1935). He donated it in 1931 as a perpetual rugby trophy and a token of goodwill between Australia (the Wallabies) and New Zealand (the All Blacks). The Cup has been presented ever since to the winner of the routine match series.
   The series itself is referred to as the Bledisloe Cup. As the two Antipodean nations have won three of the six Rugby World Cups since 1987, the Bledisloe Cup matches have become the most watched rugby games in the world. The highest turnout ever was at the match held on July 15, 2000 when 109,874 spectators filled the Olympic Stadium in Sydney.
   The All Blacks are currently at the second of the official world rankings of the International Rugby Football Board (IRB), while the Wallabies are ranked third. The ‘Trans-Tasman’ rivalry dates back to 1903. In the world of rugby, matches between national teams are referred to as ‘test matches’, and New Zealand’s first ever test match was against Australia.

■The Archrivals

  At the first match held between the two archrivals played at Sydney Cricket Ground in Australia on August 15, 1903, New Zealand won 22-3. Between then and 2008, the two teams faced each other 132 times: New Zealand won 88 times, Australia 39 times, and there were 5 draws (excluding the 24 matches when Australia was represented by the New South Wales team). New Zealand is generally regarded as the strongest team in the world, with more wins than losses against all other nations. New Zealand has played more matches against Australia than any other country. South Africa is next with a total of 75 matches, underlining the ‘closeness’ of the two archrivals.
   Several matches are played each, with the Cup going to the team which wins more matches; if both teams end up with the same number of wins, the Cup is retained by the former champion.
Incidentally, not only is the Cup known as the most popular rugby trophy in the world, it is also the largest!

■The Future of the Cup

  Since 2003, New Zealand has held the Cup for six consecutive years. Big news last year was the appointment of Robbie Deans as the coach of the Wallabies. Deans is a former All Black and, as the coach of the Crusaders, won more Super rugby titles (the most important provincial championship in the southern hemisphere) than any other coach. Deans won three Super 12 and two Super 14 titles. In the 2007 World Cup in France, the position of the All Blacks coach Graham Henry was brought in question after New Zealand failed to retain their championship.  
  However, he was reappointed. Robbie Deans, who had been expected to succeed Henry, subsequently accepted the offer from the Australian Rugby Union to coach their national team.
   Until 2008, the Bledisloe Cup matches had always been played in either New Zealand or Australia. However, on November 1, 2008, a Cup match was played at a neutral venue—in Hong Kong—for the first time, drawing a crowd of 39,000 spectators. The opportunity to host the prestigious Bledisloe Cup has now been offered to other countries, opening a new chapter in its colourful history.