Rugby-Australia to face South Africa in Perth, Melbourne snubbed


FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Rugby Championship - South Africa v Australia - DHL Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa - August 23, 2025 Australia's Corey Toole in action with South Africa's Ruan Nortje REUTERS/Esa Alexander/File Photo

MELBOURNE, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Australia ⁠will play world champions South Africa at Perth Stadium ⁠on September 27 and travel to their Eden Park ‌graveyard two weeks later to meet New Zealand, Rugby Australia said on Monday.

The Western Australia capital will also host the Wallabies-Italy test at Perth Rectangular ​Stadium on July 18, part of the ⁠inaugural Nations Championship matches.

Melbourne, ⁠however, has missed out on hosting a test in 2026, continuing ⁠its ‌run of being sidelined by rugby officials.

The nation's second largest city was overlooked as a host for ⁠knockout matches in next year's Rugby World Cup ​in Australia, barring ‌one round-of-16 clash.

While outgoing coach Joe Schmidt will be in ⁠charge for ​the Wallabies' Nations Championship tests against Ireland, France and Italy in July, Queensland Reds boss Les Kiss takes the reins against Eddie ⁠Jones's Japan in the following month.

The Wallabies ​will travel to Osaka to play Japan on August 8 before a home clash against the Brave Blossoms in Townsville on ⁠August 15.

The Bledisloe Cup, Australia's annual series against New Zealand, kicks off on October 10 at Auckland's Eden Park, where the Wallabies have not beaten the hosts since 1986.

The teams meet ​in Sydney a week later for the ⁠second and final Bledisloe Cup test.

The All Blacks have held the ​Bledisloe Cup uninterrupted since 2003.

Venues for ‌Australia's back-to-back away tests against Argentina ​on August 29-September 5 have yet to be confirmed.

(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)

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