Noah Lolesio of the Wallabies runs into Beauden Barrett of the All Blacks. Photo / Getty
Noah Lolesio of the Wallabies runs into Beauden Barrett of the All Blacks. Photo / Getty
The Wallabies and All Blacks will contest the third Bledisloe Cup test at Perth's Optus Stadium on September 5 after the New Zealanders pulled out of the original date, citing Covid-19 concerns.
The All Blacks' last-minute decision not to travel to Perth for the final game of the series sentAussie pundits into a frenzy last Friday.
Coach Dave Rennie said he was "bloody angry" at the cancellation, which he said his players found out about on social media.
On Thursday, following discussions between Rugby Australia, New Zealand Rugby, Optus Stadium and the Western Australian government, the new date was announced.
"I want to thank Premier Mark McGowan, Deputy Premier Roger Cook, Tourism Minister David Templeman, Sport Minister Tony Buti and the rest of Western Australian government, as well as Mike McKenna at Optus Stadium for their consistent and solution-orientated approach in working with us to secure the date in such a short time frame," Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos said.
"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 have embraced them so warmly over the past two weeks.
"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."
Noah Lolesio of the Wallabies runs into Beauden Barrett of the All Blacks. Photo / Getty
The Wallabies have already travelled to Perth, where the team received its second shot of the Pfizer vaccine on Thursday.
Tickets for the original date (August 28) will be valid for the new one. Less than 2,000 tickets for the clash remain, as of Thursday afternoon.
The All Blacks already secured a series victory with their wins in the opening two games of the series, both of which were held in New Zealand.
On Tuesday, it was confirmed that Queensland would host the remainder of the Rugby Championship.
The competition commenced this month with the Bledisloe Cup, but its remaining games will also feature Argentina and South Africa.
In September, Brisbane and Townsville will play host to a double-header each as part of the Rugby Championship. Gold Coast rugby fans are set to be treated to two double-headers, one next month and one in October.
Marinos called the move to play the remainder of the tournament in Australia "a truly special celebration of the game".
"What a fantastic tournament ahead for fans in Queensland. Four unmissable back-to-back double-headers featuring four of the very best test nations in World Rugby – all in Queensland's backyard," he said.
