Historic rugby rivalry moves west for first time

By foxsports
Published

PERTH, Australia (AP) The Wallabies and All Blacks will head to Western Australia state in 2019 for the first Bledisloe Cup match in Perth between the traditional rugby rivals.

The Australian Rugby Union said Wednesday that Perth's new 60,000-seat stadium will host the only Bledisloe Cup match that year before Australia and New Zealand travel to Japan for the Rugby World Cup.

No date has been set for the game at the new Perth stadium, which is scheduled for completion in early 2018.

Perth hosted its first rugby test in 1998 when South Africa, which has a strong expatriate population in Perth, beat the Wallabies 14-13 at Subiaco Oval. The city has played host to 15 Australian tests, with the Springboks having played eight.