Wallabies and All Blacks return to Hong Kong

[blueandblack]

May 18, 2010 - 6:54AM

The Wallabies and All Blacks will play a Bledisloe Cup rugby Test in Hong Kong in October, their second there and their third in Asia in the past three years.

The match will be played October 30 at Hong Kong Stadium and will be the fourth match of this year's Bledisloe Cup series and will come ahead of the Wallabies' Spring Tour to Europe.

The All Blacks and Wallabies met in Hong Kong in 2008 in the first Test played between the teams outside New Zealand or Australia, other than during a World Cup.

The teams played another Bledisloe Cup Test last year in Tokyo as a means to increase Test revenues and to build rugby's audience in Asia.

Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O'Neill said in a statement on Tuesday the match in Hong Kong would build rugby's global profile.

"The Bledisloe Cup is an event of major international significance," he said. "To take the game to Hong Kong for a second time in three years - and we went to Tokyo last year - is a sign that we are serious about embracing the Asian market.

"It's in rugby's global interests to ensure our footprint becomes more distinct in Asia, and to build on the wonderful advances the Hong Kong Sevens has made for the code.

"Showcasing a fiercely contested Bledisloe Cup test, one of the most keenly watched clashes in all of international rugby, achieves that objective and also provides a unique 'neutral' setting for the Wallabies and All Blacks."

The All Blacks have won both previous Tests in Hong Kong and Tokyo.

[tragic]

The Hong Kong Bledisloe Cup rugby Test next month is reportedly under threat due to poor ticket sales.

Television news reports in New Zealand on Tuesday night said the fourth trans-Tasman international of the year, scheduled for Hong Kong Stadium on October 30, might be relocated to England that weekend before the All Blacks and Wallabies start their northern hemisphere tours.

A New Zealand Rugby Union spokesman confirmed there was concern about sluggish ticket sales but no decision had been made on the fixture's future.

Less than 10,000 tickets had been purchased so far for the 40,000-seat venue.

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They'd get a sellout if they had it in Perth.

[Burgs]

Lesson #79: Don’t over tax the cash cow...

[jombi]

The game should be at Stadium Westralia.

It's stupid how many Bledisloe Cup matches there are now - it has taken so much of the shine (for want of a better word) out of the games. They should just go back to 2 a year and have a proper NH tour instead of 1 off games against 4 teams.

[beige]

They should just go back to 2 a year

They will as of next year with the 2011 World Cup and then the 4 Nations from 2012 onwards - although I wouldn't be surprised if they try to work in a 3rd match in future years.

[todd4]

3 per year would be good, much better chance of getting a result.

[James]

Yeah. One home, one away, one neutral. Or maybe just three in non-world cup/Lions series years.

[jombi]

Why do we even need the neutral one though?

I thought it was better back in the 90s (when I started following the game more)/early naughties when you had to actually win away from home to win the Bledisloe Cup back.

It's silly now how the wallabies could win game 1 at Suncorp and game 3 at the MCG or something and take it without even winning in NZ.

They should just make it 1 game per year, alternating between Perth & Jade, with the stipulation that the challenging team has to win by atleast 14 points to take the trophy!

[beige]

Kids, don't do drugs

[James]

Why do we even need the neutral one though?

I thought it was better back in the 90s (when I started following the game more)/early naughties when you had to actually win away from home to win the Bledisloe Cup back.

It's silly now how the wallabies could win game 1 at Suncorp and game 3 at the MCG or something and take it without even winning in NZ.

They should just make it 1 game per year, alternating between Perth & Jade, with the stipulation that the challenging team has to win by atleast 14 points to take the trophy!

Because with the neutral game the better team across the three games wins the trophy. The either team could win by 20 points one week and lose by one the next and whoever has the cup keeps it.

[jombi]

The 'better team' across 3 games just means it's made easier for them if they don't already have it. The allblacks managed to win it back in 03 with 2 games, and I'm sure in 30 years the wallabies might be able to put 2 in a row together aswell!

All the 3 and now 4 games has done is cheapen it. With the ARU & NZRFU both whoring themselves out for as much money as they can get, it wouldn't surprise me if in 5~ years we're seeing a 7-game Cricket style series - and I'm sure none of them would be afternoon games!

[James]

What has cheapened it is that it is the lack of a contest. What is the point of having a trophy if you aren't going to win it for 30 years? 3 games make a decider.

[normie]

What has cheapened it is that it is the lack of a contest. What is the point of having a trophy if you aren't going to win it for 30 years? ...

Like the Ashes?

Yes I agree, the best out of three seems to be a logical and fair way of deciding the winner.

[AndyS]

Nope, agree with Jombi. Winning it should be hard earned, requiring wins both home and away. Flip side is that losing it should be a disaster, promising a long hard slog to get it back.

[Piet Van Ziel]

I'm all for 4 games

The alternative is watching minileague between Penrith and South Sydney or some other irrelevant sh1t because there is no rugby to watch or heaven forbid the A-league sooker or some poofs from melbourne running around with blonde tinged mullets and tiny pants riding up their Kyber Pass

Rugby needs high level matches to compete with other codes.

There is never a bad or boring game between the allblacks and wallabies. It's as good as it gets.

I salute the 4 game concept.

It's also a great run before taking on the European teams on their home soil. It gets rid of some cobwebs as there are few midweek games anymore.

The more we play the allblacks the better we get. It will serve us well in Oct next year when we run onto Eden Park for the RWC final. No fear.