■Overall Record

■First Test Match

August 15, 1903 @Sydney Cricket Ground (30,000 spectators)
New Zealand 22 : 3 Australia

■Most Consecutive Victories

Australia: 4 (1928~1929)
New Zealand: 9 (1936~1947)

■Biggest Winning Margin

Australia: 21 (Australia 28 : 7 New Zealand), 1999 Sydney
New Zealand: 37 (New Zealand 43 : 6 Australia), 1996 Wellington

■Highest Points Scored

Australia: 35 (New Zealand 39 : 35 Australia), 2000 Sydney
New Zealand: 50 (New Zealand 50 : 21 Australia), 2003 Sydney

■Australia vs. New Zealand Fact Sheet

• The ARU recognises that Australia and New Zealand have played 156 Test matches since the first game at Dunedin in 1903. The NZRU only recognises 132 matches between the two countries.
• NSW played 24 matches against the senior New Zealand side in the period from 1920 until 1928 when the QRU failed to reform after World War I. The ARU retrospectively granted Test match status to those 24 matches in the 1980s.
• The Cup was donated in 1931 by the Governor-General of New Zealand, Lord Bledisloe, to mark the rivalry between the countries.
• Bledisloe offered the Cup to the New Zealand Rugby Union in 1931, but it was after that year’s Test match which New Zealand won 20-13. The physical trophy was on hand for the first match of the 1932 series, a Test won by Australia 22-17.
• There have been 113 Bledisloe Cup matches. Australia have won 32, lost 77 and drawn 4.
• New Zealand has won the Bledisloe Cup 36 times to Australia’s 12.
• The longest either team has consecutively held the Cup is 28 years (New Zealand 1951-1978). Australia’s longest reign was five years (1998-2002).
• New Zealand has held the cup since 2003.
• The current rules favour the holder who retains the trophy in the event a two or four match series is evenly split. It makes the challenge even greater for the other team and is part of why the Bledisloe is so highly valued by players from both New Zealand and Australia.

■Records

• David Campese holds the Australian record (and possibly the world record) of 29 Tests against New Zealand. Sean Fitzpatrick, with 24 caps, has played the most Tests against Australia.
• Matthew Burke holds the Australian points scoring career and individual match records. Matt scored 176 points against New Zealand in 16 Tests from 1995 until 2004. In the 1998 MCG match Matt scored all 24 points in the Wallabies' eight-point victory.
• Andrew Mehrtens is the only player to exceed 200 points in Tests against Australia. In 16 Tests from 1995 to 2004 he scored 203 points.
• Andrew also holds the single game record with 29 points (9 penalty goals, 1 conversion) in the 34-15 victory at Eden Park in 1999.
• The most tries scored by an individual is 4 by Greg Cornelsen (Australia) - 3rd Test, Auckland 1978.

■Bledisloe Cup

• The Cup is silver with a wooden base.
• The Cup Weighs 21.6 Kilograms (9kgs Cup and 12.6kgs Base).
• The Cup is valued at approximately AUD$220,000. The silver in the Cup alone is valued at AUD$126,000. However, its real value to Rugby followers in both countries is beyond measure.

ANZ HONG KONG 2008 BLEDISLOE CUP (November 11, 2008, Hong Kong Stadium)