Rugby Australia has this afternoon confirmed that the third Bledisloe cup match, initially re-scheduled for this Saturday (August 28) in Perth, will now be played at Optus Stadium on September 5.
Speaking earlier in the week, Rugby AU chief executive Andy Marinos was optimistic the match would still be played in Perth, with a statement this afternoon ratifying this belief.
Scheduled for a 2pm WST/4pm AEST kick-off, the match is being touted as one for the fans, with the Sunday afternoon kick-off set to marry up perfectly with Father’s Day.
“There are very limited tickets still available, so make sure you don’t miss out as there is no better way to celebrate Father’s Day than to cheer on the Wallabies at a packed house at Optus Stadium”. The Rugby AU CEO said in a statement on Thursday afternoon.
Marinos was also quick to praise the West Australian Government and stadium staff for their solution-orientated approach to the situation.
“It’s fantastic on all fronts to have the opportunity for the Wallabies to play at this iconic stadium again and entertain the Perth public that has embraced them so warmly over the past two weeks,” Marinos added.
“From speaking with the Wallabies team, they are desperate to put on a great show for the Perth community – and confirming this Test is great news for them and the fans in Western Australia.”
“We look forward to welcoming the All Blacks to Australia for this match, which is the start of a Rugby celebration in our country. There are very limited tickets still available, so make sure you don’t miss out as there is no better way to celebrate Father’s Day than to cheer on the Wallabies at a packed house at Optus Stadium”.
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In an added boost for West Australian’s, Marinos confirmed that ticketholders to the existing match would be able to transfer their tickets with 2000 remaining on public sale.
“For any ticketholder that had purchased for the previous date, your ticket be automatically transferred to the new date. If you now can’t make it, you will be offered the opportunity for a full refund,”
The Wallabies hope that their first home fixture of the eToro Rugby Championship will turn around their campaign, having lost their opening TRC match to New Zealand.
New Zealand named their squad for what they described as a 'mammoth tour' earlier today, while Argentina and South Africa will arrive in Australia for the TRC over the weekend.
2021 Rugby Championship Fixtures
Round One
Sat 14 August: New Zealand 57 v Australia 22 at Eden Park, Auckland
Sat 14 August: South Africa 32 v Argentina 12 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Round Two
Sat 21 August: Argentina 10 v South Africa 29 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Sun 5 September: Australia v New Zealand - Optus Stadium, Perth*
Round Three
Sun 12 September: New Zealand v Argentina at Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
Sun 12 September: South Africa v Australia at Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
Round Four
Sat 18 September: Argentina v New Zealand at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Sat 18 September: Australia v South Africa at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Round Five
Sat 25 September: Australia v Argentina at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
Sat 25 September: New Zealand v South Africa at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
Round Six
Sat 2 October: Argentina v Australia at Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
Sat 2 October: South Africa v New Zealand at Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast *doubles as third Bledisloe Cup match
^kick off times and match order to be confirmed
