Which two countries contest rugby union’s Bledisloe Cup?

Australia and New Zealand contest rugby union’s Bledisloe Cup.

The Bledisloe Cup is an annual test series between the Wallabies of Australia and the All Blacks of New Zealand. It is one of rugby union’s oldest and most prominent international rivalries, named after Lord Bledisloe, who was Governor-General of New Zealand from 1930 to 1935.

The first match for the cup was played in 1931, although the trophy was not consistently used in every early meeting. Since 1996, the fixture has also formed part of the Rugby Championship, the southern hemisphere competition involving Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa.

New Zealand has traditionally dominated the rivalry and has held the trophy for long periods. The competition is distinct from the Tri Nations and Rugby Championship: those are multi-team tournaments, while the Bledisloe Cup is the direct Australia–New Zealand contest within the wider international calendar.