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Wallabies line up grand slam tour to mark 40 years since 1984 triumph
By Jonathan Drennan and Tom Decent
The Wallabies are set to mark the 40th anniversary of their iconic 1984 grand slam tour by returning to play the home nations for the first time since 2016 on their spring tour of the UK and Ireland.
And before they head for the northern hemisphere, the Wallabies will face New Zealand in September in a Bledisloe Cup fixture that will be played in Sydney for the first time since 2020.
Although no formal announcement has yet been made about the Wallabies’ Sydney date with the All Blacks, a page offering hospitality packages on the Rugby Australia website shows the fixture has been scheduled for Saturday, September 21 at Accor Stadium.
The November fixtures are also under wraps, but sources with knowledge of the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the confidential nature of the discussions, said Rugby Australia was lining up an historic grand slam tour.
The Wallabies have already locked in a Test against England on November 9 at Twickenham and are working on matches against Wales on November 16 at Principality Stadium, Scotland on November 23 at Murrayfield and Ireland the following weekend at Aviva Stadium.
Rugby Australia’s website says there will be a Bledisloe Cup fixture in Sydney on September 21 next year. Credit: Rugby Australia
The tour would give the Wallabies the perfect opportunity to test their squad depth ahead of a British and Irish Lions series in 2025 and a home men’s Rugby World Cup in 2027.
The Wallabies will by then have a new coach in place, who will have the opportunity to blood Joseph Suaalii into the squad and potentially debut him on tour after RA chief executive Phil Waugh confirmed the winger should be ready to travel after his switch from the NRL.
Australia failed to make it out of the pool stages at this year’s World Cup in France. Coach Eddie Jones resigned shortly after, less than 10 months into his five-year deal.
In 1984, the Wallabies were coached by Alan Jones and captained by centre Andrew Slack, who is now helping RA to review the Wallabies’ disappointing 2023 season.
Slack’s side won 13 matches on tour, drew one and lost four against club and representative sides but notably won all four of their international Tests, becoming the first and only Wallabies team to do so.
Mark Ella during a match on Australia’s grand tour of Europe in 1984.Credit: Getty
The tour was notable for the memorable performances of five-eighth Mark Ella, who scored a try in every Test and proved the catalyst for an instinctive running game that played havoc with opposition defences.
The feats of the 1984 team also provided a strong platform for future Australian rugby success, with the Wallabies beating New Zealand at Eden Park in 1986 - the team has not done so since - before going on to win the World Cup in 1991.
The last attempt at a grand slam tour was in 2016, which included a fixture against France. The Wallabies defeated Wales, Scotland and France but were beaten by Ireland and England in their final two games.
The tour will mark a busy period next year for Australian rugby, with the men’s and women’s sevens sides in action in July at the Paris Olympics.
The Wallabies will play three Tests in July, with Sydney set to host a Wales fixture on July 6 at Allianz Stadium, according to RA’s corporate hospitality website.
South Africa, who won this year’s World Cup in a nail-biting final against New Zealand, will travel to Australia for two Tests against the Wallabies. One of those will be in Brisbane on August 10.
The Wallabies will embark on a two-Test tour of Argentina as part of the Rugby Championship before hosting the All Blacks at Stadium Australia in Sydney on September 21, according to hospitality information available on RA’s website.
Sydney has not hosted a Bledisloe Cup fixture since 2020 when Australia were hammered 43-5.
The Wallabies will then face the Kiwis in New Zealand before their European tour.
Likely 2024 Wallabies spring tour schedule
- Australia vs England, November 9, Twickenham
- Australia vs Wales, November 16, Cardiff
- Australia vs Scotland, November 23, Murrayfield
- Australia vs Ireland, November 30, Dublin
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