ANZAC Test
Encyclopedia
The Anzac Test is an annual rugby league football
test match
(known as the Bundaberg Rum
Test from 2004–2008 and the VB
Test in 2009 for sponsorship reasons). The test match is played annually between Australia and New Zealand
on or around Anzac Day
for the Bill Kelly Memorial Trophy.
in 1997
. When New Zealand was defeated 56-0 in 2000 the Australian Rugby League
(ARL) was criticised for playing the match before the State of Origin
series. The Test was then dropped from the annual schedule in favour of match in mid-July. In 2002 and 2003 Australia defeated Great Britain (64-10) and New Zealand (48-6) in July Test matches, so the Bundaberg Rum Test (as it became known for sponsorship reasons) was revived the following year.
) and its perceived comparison of professional sportsmen with soldiers. However Super League
donated a large sum of money to the RSL
, and Bruce Ruxton
featured in commercials for the inaugural Anzac Test, proclaiming
The word Anzac is protected in Australia by The Protection of Word "Anzac" Regulations (under the War Precautions Act Repeal Act 1920) and requires permission of the Minister for Veterans' Affairs for use in commercial events. This permission was given for the event from 1997-1999.
From 2004 until 2008 the match was officially called the Bundaberg Rum League Test, after the principal sponsor, Bundaberg Rum
. For the 2009 fixture, the principal sponsor was Victoria Bitter
and, as such, the match was officially called the VB Test. Despite the official name change, it is still common for the match to be called the Anzac Test.
Since 2004, the winner of the Bundaberg Rum League Test has been awarded the Bill Kelly Memorial Trophy. This trophy was donated in 1996 by Gerald Ryan
ONZM, a past president of the New Zealand Rugby League
. It is named after Bill Kelly, a New Zealand rugby league player in the early 20th century.
The Bill Kelly Memorial Trophy was briefly stolen by three 25 year old New Zealand men after Australia's victory in the 2006 Test. It was found several hours later on the awning of a nearby building. The trophy currently resides at the Australian Rugby League
headquarters in Sydney.
After New Zealand's win in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
, the release of new RLIF
world rankings
, and the introduction of a new international schedule, the annual mid-season test between Australia and New Zealand was revived. The 2009 fixture was played on 8 May in Brisbane.
The 2010 ANZAC Test
, played on 7 May, was the first game of football at Melbourne's newly-constructed AAMI Park.
The 2011 ANZAC Test
was scheduled to be held at AMI Stadium in Christchurch
, New Zealand, however the match had to be rescheduled at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast due to the February 2011 Christchurch Earthquake.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
test match
Test match (rugby league)
A Test match in rugby league football is a representative match between teams representing members of the Rugby League International Federation.The definition of a Test match differs from that of an international match...
(known as the Bundaberg Rum
Bundaberg Rum
Bundaberg Rum is a dark rum produced in Bundaberg, Australia, often referred to as "Bundy".The Bundaberg Distilling Company owns its own cola-producing facility, which supplies the cola for its ready-to-drink Bundaberg Rum and Cola products.-History:...
Test from 2004–2008 and the VB
Victoria Bitter
Victoria Bitter is one of the many iconic beers manufactured in the Australian state of Victoria. VB currently maintains the highest market share of all beer sold in Australia, both on tap and packaged...
Test in 2009 for sponsorship reasons). The test match is played annually between Australia and New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
on or around Anzac Day
ANZAC Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all...
for the Bill Kelly Memorial Trophy.
Origins
Australia and New Zealand had competed in Rugby League Tests since 1908. The Anzac Test, played on or around Anzac Day, was introduced by Super League (Australia)Super League (Australia)
Super League was an Australian rugby league football administrative body that conducted professional competition in Australasia for one season in 1997. Along with Super League of Europe, it was created by News Corporation during the Super League war which arose following an unsuccessful attempt to...
in 1997
Super League (Australia) season 1997
The 1997 Super League season was the 90th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the first and only to be run by the News Limited-controlled Super League organisation...
. When New Zealand was defeated 56-0 in 2000 the Australian Rugby League
Australian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
(ARL) was criticised for playing the match before the State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
series. The Test was then dropped from the annual schedule in favour of match in mid-July. In 2002 and 2003 Australia defeated Great Britain (64-10) and New Zealand (48-6) in July Test matches, so the Bundaberg Rum Test (as it became known for sponsorship reasons) was revived the following year.
Naming controversy
The Anzac Test was controversial for its use of the term Anzac (Australian and New Zealand Army CorpsAustralian and New Zealand Army Corps
The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps was a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force that was formed in Egypt in 1915 and operated during the Battle of Gallipoli. General William Birdwood commanded the corps, which comprised troops from the First Australian Imperial...
) and its perceived comparison of professional sportsmen with soldiers. However Super League
Super League (Australia)
Super League was an Australian rugby league football administrative body that conducted professional competition in Australasia for one season in 1997. Along with Super League of Europe, it was created by News Corporation during the Super League war which arose following an unsuccessful attempt to...
donated a large sum of money to the RSL
Returned and Services League of Australia
The Returned and Services League of Australia is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force ....
, and Bruce Ruxton
Bruce Ruxton
Bruce Caryle Ruxton AM, OBE is an Australian ex-serviceman and former President of the Victorian Returned and Services League.-Early life:Ruxton grew up in Kew, Victoria...
featured in commercials for the inaugural Anzac Test, proclaiming
- "Mark my words, Australia is still in grave danger from one of our so-called neighbours. The Kiwis were once our allies and now they’re on the other side - at least for 80 minutes".
The word Anzac is protected in Australia by The Protection of Word "Anzac" Regulations (under the War Precautions Act Repeal Act 1920) and requires permission of the Minister for Veterans' Affairs for use in commercial events. This permission was given for the event from 1997-1999.
From 2004 until 2008 the match was officially called the Bundaberg Rum League Test, after the principal sponsor, Bundaberg Rum
Bundaberg Rum
Bundaberg Rum is a dark rum produced in Bundaberg, Australia, often referred to as "Bundy".The Bundaberg Distilling Company owns its own cola-producing facility, which supplies the cola for its ready-to-drink Bundaberg Rum and Cola products.-History:...
. For the 2009 fixture, the principal sponsor was Victoria Bitter
Victoria Bitter
Victoria Bitter is one of the many iconic beers manufactured in the Australian state of Victoria. VB currently maintains the highest market share of all beer sold in Australia, both on tap and packaged...
and, as such, the match was officially called the VB Test. Despite the official name change, it is still common for the match to be called the Anzac Test.
Trophy
Two different trophies have been awarded for the winner of this Test. For the 1997-1999 Anzac Tests, the winner was awarded the Anzac Trophy, which depicted an Australian slouch hat and New Zealand lemon squeezer hat.Since 2004, the winner of the Bundaberg Rum League Test has been awarded the Bill Kelly Memorial Trophy. This trophy was donated in 1996 by Gerald Ryan
Gerald Ryan
Gerald Patrick Ryan was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the VFL.A full-forward originally from Middle Park, Ryan spent just two seasons at South Melbourne...
ONZM, a past president of the New Zealand Rugby League
New Zealand Rugby League
The New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....
. It is named after Bill Kelly, a New Zealand rugby league player in the early 20th century.
The Bill Kelly Memorial Trophy was briefly stolen by three 25 year old New Zealand men after Australia's victory in the 2006 Test. It was found several hours later on the awning of a nearby building. The trophy currently resides at the Australian Rugby League
Australian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
headquarters in Sydney.
Demise and Reconception
In 2007, the New Zealand Rugby League announced that the ANZAC Test would not be contested after 2008, citing difficulties with selecting their best possible team for a match held at that time of year. According to the NZRL Director of Football, Graham Lowe, "We have an obligation to play Australia in Sydney on 9 May next year, because it is their centenary test, and we will fulfil it, but that will be the last one." Although the NZRL did not think that the Anzac Tests were still a viable option, they were "optimistic an international calendar will be adopted.".After New Zealand's win in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
, the release of new RLIF
Rugby League International Federation
The Rugby League International Federation is the world governing body of rugby league football. It was formed in 1998 in Sydney, Australia. Its purpose is to, "foster, develop, extend, govern and administer the game of Rugby League throughout the world". Its headquarters are in Sydney, Australia,...
world rankings
RLIF World Rankings
The RLIF World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in the sport of rugby league football. The teams of the member nations of the Rugby League International Federation, rugby league football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful...
, and the introduction of a new international schedule, the annual mid-season test between Australia and New Zealand was revived. The 2009 fixture was played on 8 May in Brisbane.
The 2010 ANZAC Test
2010 ANZAC Test
The 2010 ANZAC Test was a rugby league test match played between Australia and New Zealand on 7 May 2010. The match coincided with the official opening of AAMI Park in Melbourne. The match was won by Australia with a score of 12–8.-The teams:...
, played on 7 May, was the first game of football at Melbourne's newly-constructed AAMI Park.
The 2011 ANZAC Test
2011 ANZAC Test
The 2011 ANZAC Test was a rugby league test match played between Australia and New Zealand on 6 May 2011 at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast. Australia won their tenth straight Anzac test with a score of 20–10.-Pre-game:...
was scheduled to be held at AMI Stadium in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand, however the match had to be rescheduled at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast due to the February 2011 Christchurch Earthquake.
Overall tally
| Team | Wins |
|---|---|
 Australia1 |
11 |
 New ZealandNew Zealand national rugby league team The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name... |
1 |
- Includes the Australia (Super League) victory in 1997.
Results
| Date | Result | Venue | Crowd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 May 2011 | Australia def. New Zealand 20–10 (Report 2011 ANZAC Test The 2011 ANZAC Test was a rugby league test match played between Australia and New Zealand on 6 May 2011 at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast. Australia won their tenth straight Anzac test with a score of 20–10.-Pre-game:... ) |
Skilled Park, Gold Coast Gold Coast, Queensland Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous... |
26,301 |
| 7 May 2010 | Australia def. New Zealand 12–8 (Report 2010 ANZAC Test The 2010 ANZAC Test was a rugby league test match played between Australia and New Zealand on 7 May 2010. The match coincided with the official opening of AAMI Park in Melbourne. The match was won by Australia with a score of 12–8.-The teams:... ) |
AAMI Park Melbourne Rectangular Stadium The Melbourne Rectangular Stadium is an outdoor sports stadium on the site of Edwin Flack Field on Olympic Boulevard in the Sports and Entertainment Precinct, in inner Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.... , Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... |
29,442 |
| 8 May 2009 | Australia def. New Zealand 38–10 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Brisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of... |
37,152 |
| 9 May 2008 | Australia def. New Zealand 28–12 | Sydney Cricket Ground Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian... , Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... |
34,571 |
| 20 April 2007 | Australia def. New Zealand 30–6 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Brisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of... |
50,241 |
| 5 May 2006 | Australia def. New Zealand 50–12 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Brisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of... |
44,191 |
| 22 April 2005 | Australia def. New Zealand 32–16 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Brisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of... |
40,317 |
| 23 April 2004 | Australia def. New Zealand 37–10 | EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle Newcastle, New South Wales The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas... |
21,537 |
| 21 April 2000 | Australia def. New Zealand 52–0 | Stadium Australia, Sydney | 26,023 |
| 23 April 1999 | Australia def. New Zealand 20–14 | Stadium Australia, Sydney | 30,245 |
| 24 April 1998 | New Zealand def. Australia 22–16 | North Harbour Stadium North Harbour Stadium North Harbour Stadium is a stadium, situated in Albany, in North Shore City, in New Zealand. It was opened in 1997, after nearly a decade of discussion, planning and construction. Rugby union, football and rugby League are the only sports played on the main ground, as it is rectangular in shape.... , Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... |
25,000 |
| 25 April 1997 | Australia (SL) def. New Zealand 34–22 | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney | 23,829 |
Trivia
- The home team has never lost.
- Only one ANZAC/Bundaberg Rum Test has actually been played on ANZAC Day.
See also
- Australia vs New Zealand in rugby leagueAustralia vs New Zealand in rugby leagueAustralia vs New Zealand in rugby league is a rivalry between the Australian Kangaroos and the New Zealand Kiwis in the sport of rugby league. The first match between the two sides was in 1908, with New Zealand running out 11–10 winners....