Rugby Fever Takes Over Sydney With the Bledisloe Cup Festival

Quade Cooper & partner, Laura Dundovic

From racecourses and golf courses to Sydney's spectacular harbour and shopping precincts, The Bledisloe Cup Festival will take over the harbour city for four days from 5-8 August 2015. Most festival activities are free and some offer the chance to meet Qantas Wallabies players.

The Bledisloe Cup Festival culminates in the ultimate trans-Tasman battle between arch rivals the Qantas Wallabies and the New Zealand All Blacks at Sydney's ANZ Stadium, on Saturday 8 August 2015.

Qantas Wallaby, Quade Cooper and his partner the fashionable racing ambassador, Laura Dundovic stepped out at Royal Randwick Racecourse ahead of the Bledisloe Cup Festival Race Day which will be held at the Racecourse on 8 August, ahead of the evening match.

The Bledisloe Cup Festival Race Day will see Randwick Racecourse cloaked in a sea of gold and black and the jockeys will run a special Bledisloe Cup race draped in Wallaby and All Black silks. Bledisloe Cup 2015 ticketholders and ANZ Stadium members can enjoy a full day of sport with free entry to the special Race Day, with on-course activities running throughout the day ensuring fun for the whole family.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events and Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres said the Bledisloe Cup Festival will bring more rugby fans to Sydney with plenty on offer for everyone.

“This year's Festival features a range of events in the week leading up to the big game at ANZ Stadium on Saturday 8 August. The NSW Government is proud to have secured the 2015 Bledisloe Cup Festival for Sydney through our tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, with the event expected to attract visitors from all over Australia and the world.”

Festival events include an interactive Wallabies fan zone at Sydney's Pitt Street Mall, a Women in Business & Sport Rugby lunch, a Bledisloe Bay fan day at Darling Harbour, a Classic Wallabies golf day and a special Bledisloe Cup Race Day at Royal Randwick.

Travel Packages for the Bledisloe Cup are available via Qantas Holidays, go to http://packages.qantas.com/events/the-rugby-championships for details. We Love Rugby also has one and two night Bledisloe Cup packages available to Sydney. Further information is available at http://www.weloverugby.com/2015-bledisloe-cup-sydney.

For more information on the Bledisloe Cup Festival in Sydney, and ticket information visit www.rugby.com.au/bledisloecupfestival

For more information on Sydney and New South Wales, visit www.sydney.com or www.visitnsw.com

Bledisloe Cup Festival Schedule of Events

5th – 8th August

HSBC's All Access Experience, Westfield Sydney

Sydney's famed shopping strip, Pitt Street Mall will be home to a Wallabies change room for a dedicated Wallabies fan zone. Using the latest virtual reality technology, fans will be able to experience what it's like to be at a Wallabies training session, inside the Wallabies changing room, and even what it's like when the team runs out to a full stadium ahead of a Test Match. Qantas Wallabies players will also attend a signing session on the Thursday 6 August, 4:00-6:00pm.

6th August

Bledisloe Bay, Darling Harbour's Harbourside Amphitheatre

Fans can meet Qantas Wallabies players, have their photo taken with the coveted Bledisloe Cup trophy, test their rugby skills with a special goal post set up on a barge on Sydney Harbour, try out the horizontal bungee, check out the history of the Bledisloe Cup via an interactive archive display and enjoy ticket and merchandise giveaways.

7th August

Bledisloe Cup Festival Golf Day, The Manly Golf Club

Come along to watch some of the greatest ever Wallabies test their golf skills and patience at The Manly Golf Club, one of Australia's oldest golf clubs.

8th August

Bledisloe Cup Festival Race Day, Randwick Racecourse

Experience Bledisloe Cup fever at the races as jockeys and horses celebrate the iconic trans-Tasman rivalry in a sea of gold and black. Bledisloe Cup Sydney Test ticket holders can enjoy complimentary entry to the races as part of the festival.

The Bledisloe Cup Women in Business & Sport Rugby Luncheon , Doltone House

The event celebrates female business and sporting leaders of Australia and New Zealand and the important role they play in the sport and business community.

The Bledisloe Cup 2015, ANZ Stadium

The Qantas Wallabies face off against arch rivals the New Zealand All Blacks at ANZ Stadium to try and win back the Bledisloe Cup after a 13-year drought.