New Zealand will face Eire in Chicago in November, a rematch of their historic 2016 conflict the place Eire recorded their first-ever victory over the All Blacks.
The match will happen on the Soldier Discipline, residence to the NFL’s Chicago Bears, on Nov. 1 and sees the 2 groups meet on the identical patch of grass the place they performed 9 years in the past.
On that day it was Eire who took the bragging rights, successful 40-29 in an emotionally charged Check which ended their 111-year await a win over New Zealand.
Since that historic day in Chicago, the 2 groups have met 9 occasions, with the All Blacks successful 5 of these matches.
However crucially for Eire, that run of outcomes included Eire successful the 2022 Check collection 2-1 on New Zealand soil.
“This shall be an epic rematch in one of many world’s nice sporting cities,” All Blacks coach Scott Robertson mentioned in a press release. “All Blacks supporters will keep in mind effectively the final time we confronted Eire at this venue, which launched one in every of our fiercest fashionable rivalries.
“That is an superior addition to our 2025 schedule; we look ahead to bringing the crew again to the US and being a part of this sporting spectacle.”
New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson mentioned he hopes the match will present a possibility to develop rugby on a world scale. “Rugby is experiencing nice momentum within the US, significantly with the upcoming Rugby World Cups in 2031 and 2033, and with the expansion of Main League Rugby,” he mentioned.
“The U.S. is a part of our wider international technique, and we’re wanting ahead to this match as a part of our ongoing engagement with North America.”
After their conflict with Eire, New Zealand will head to Britain the place they face Scotland, England and Wales within the Autumn Nations Collection, whereas Eire tackle Japan, Australia and South Africa in Dublin.
Eire beat South Africa of their Pool match on the 2023 World Cup however the Springboks went on to grow to be world champions, retaining their title with a 12-11 win over New Zealand within the closing.
South Africa will even come up in opposition to France of their first assembly for the reason that French misplaced 29-28 on residence turf in an exciting World Cup quarter-final. The Springboks will tackle Italy and Wales of their different collection fixtures.
England, other than the All Blacks, will face Australia, Fiji and Argentina, hoping to enhance on final 12 months’s collection after they misplaced to New Zealand and Australia, in addition to South Africa, with their solely win coming in opposition to Japan.
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