All Blacks: Tokyo chosen for Bledisloe test

The All Blacks played the Wallabies in Hong Kong last year. Photo / Getty Images

The All Blacks will play the Wallabies in a money-spinning fourth Bledisloe Cup rugby match in Tokyo on October 31, continuing moves begun in Hong Kong last year.

The Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) today confirmed it would stage the match at the National Stadium in Tokyo, centrepiece of the 1964 Olympic Games with a capacity of more than 57,000.

The formal announcement followed several months of negotiation between the JRFU and the New Zealand and Australian Rugby Unions.

New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) chief executive Steve Tew, in Tokyo for the announcement, said the match was an opportunity to continue to expand rugby in new markets.

"But importantly, in the current economic environment, it is a key revenue opportunity for all three rugby unions.

"Building on the success of the Hong Kong match last year, we have agreed with Australia and our match hosts Japan, to schedule an additional Bledisloe Cup fixture again this year with the dual aim of growing the rugby footprint internationally and securing additional revenue which we can channel into our game in New Zealand."

The NZRU and ARU were first approached by Japan rugby officials during the Bledisloe Cup match in Hong Kong last November, which was the first played outside of Australia or New Zealand. The All Blacks won 19-14.

All Blacks coach Graham Henry said the fixture would add to the rich Bledisloe Cup history and also posed an additional challenge for the All Blacks on their end of year tour.

"The All Blacks have not played in Japan since 1987 so this is a rare opportunity for rugby fans in Japan to see the team, and for the All Blacks and their supporters to go somewhere we have a rugby affinity with, but visit less often."

The first three matches of the Bledisloe Cup series -- at Auckland on July 18, Sydney on August 22 and Wellington on September 19 -- will also be part of the Tri-Nations series.

- NZPA