An Anzac Day Bledisloe Cup Test is expected to be rubber stamped on Thursday following New Zealand Rugby’s Annual General Meeting, setting the stage for a trans-Tasman showdown in either Brisbane or Perth next year.
After previously rebuffing the concept, first borne in 2024 by Rugby Australia chairman Daniel Herbert, NZR has since undergone a major shake-up that was further embedded on Thursday when interim chief executive Steve Lancaster confirmed in the role permanently.
Lancaster is expected to confirm NZR’s support for the Anzac Bledisloe when he fronts local media in Wellington early Thursday afternoon, with the board having met with their Rugby Australia colleagues at the recent Super Round in Christchurch.
With renewed momentum behind the concept, RA boss Phil Waugh had indicated previously that he was confident an Anzac Bledisloe would come to fruition, particularly after former Wallabies coach Dave Rennie was reported to have thrown his weight behind the Test.
Rennie will also sit down with New Zealand media this week, where he is expected to confirm his support for the idea on account of it providing added preparation for next year’s Rugby World Cup.
Indeed, plans are understood to have progressed to the point that either Brisbane or Perth will stage the inaugural Anzac Day clash, with Suncorp Stadium the favoured venue because of its timezone and the fact that neither the NRL or AFL has established Anzac clashes in the city.
However, a decision on where the Test is played will ultimately come down to money and who of the Queensland and Western Australian governments is prepared to stump up the most cash.
Details on how Super Rugby Pacific is paused, and for how long, would then need to be resolved but with Moana Pasifika’s looming demise – despite claims from one interested party they have the financial support to take over the team’s license – plans are said to be well advanced on the competition’s 10-team format for 2027.
One of the arguments against an Anzac Day Test is that it would further disrupt a Super Rugby Pacific season which not only already has mandated rest weeks for Wallabies and All Blacks, but also one that struggles for relevance beyond its rusted-on supporter base.
But asked about the concept on Wednesday, Waratahs coach Dan McKellar, who if the game had been played a fortnight ago could have lost as many as five players from his first-choice XV, said rugby needed to get out of its own way
“I think we’ve got to park our own agendas, I suppose, or not be selfish,” McKellar told reporters in Sydney.
“Rugby union needs to grow, it needs to think outside the square; if it means an Anzac Test in front of [82,000] people at Accor Stadium, and we’re down a couple of players for a week, as will other teams as well, I think you need to park that and think what’s best for the game. I think it would be an unbelievable spectacle, and I’d be all for it.
“Other codes, if you look at State of Origin and the impact that that has on clubs throughout; that’s a much longer period. So for a week or two, I think you’ve just got to understand the pros far outweigh the cons.
“I think as a game we’ve got to continue to think outside the square and what we saw in Christchurch a couple of weeks ago shows what we can do as a sport when we all get together. I think the Anzac Test would be an unbelievable event.”
It has been reported an Anzac Bledisloe could generate as much as $10 million in revenue, to be split evenly by RA and NZR, with both organisations cognizant of the need to fill their coffers however possible.
It is for that reason that NZR developed “Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry” with the South African Rugby Union, which will see the All Blacks embark on an eight-game tour, featuring four Tests, of the Republic and Baltimore.
However, as is the case with this year’s Bledisloe series in October, an Anzac Test would fall outside World Rugby’s Test window meaning overseas Wallabies would not have to be released by their Japanese or European clubs. That means the likes of Noah Lolesio, Tom Hooper and the returning Mark Nawaqanitawase would not be available for selection.
But that appears to be a small price to pay for an event unique to rugby, which has always struggled to capture the Anzac Day spirit like the NRL and AFL have.
