A 2023 match. Australia in yellow, New Zealand in black.
August 15, 1903: For the 1st time, the national rugby union teams of Australia and New Zealand play each other, at the Sydney Cricket Ground. New Zealand dominate, 22-3.
Rugby union has a long history in Australia, with the first club being formed in 1863 at Sydney University. The sport was first played in New Zealand in 1870. As early as 1888, their players included the indigenous people of their islands, the Māori, who taught the white players the haka dance, and they've been doing this (hopefully) intimidating tactic before matches ever since.
By 1904, New Zealand was sending its national team on tour. Because of their all-black uniforms, they became known as the All Blacks. (The soccer team eventually became known as the All Whites, and their cricket team as the Black Caps.)
In contrast to these basic colors, Australian sports teams wear green and gold. These represent the green leaves and golden blooms of the golden wattle flower, a symbol of the country's natural landscape and mineral wealth. Australia calls its rugby team the Wallabies.
Australia has been independent since 1901, New Zealand since 1907, though both remain in the British Commonwealth, with a Parliament led by a Prime Minister, but with the monarch of Great Britain as head of state, represented in-country by a Governor-General. Today, Australia is home to about 25 million people; New Zealand, 5 million.
There has never been a war between the 2 nations, mainly because they are separated by water: It is 1,340 air miles over the Tasman Sea between Sydney, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand, which is pretty much the closest points between the island nations. They have gone to war together, and, along with another nearby island nation, Tonga, celebrate the 25th of April, the anniversary of the heavy losses they all sustained in the Battle of Gallipoli in World War I in 1915, as ANZAC Day. (ANZAC: Australia and New Zealand Army Corps.)
So their rivalry is pretty much limited to sports. And, while they do play other sports, including the sport that most of the world calls "football" (though both of them tend to call it "soccer," and the Aussie team is "The Socceroos"), they prefer rugby. "Australian rules football" is also closer to rugby than to soccer. Both nations are usually strong in cricket as well.
Since 1931, the overall winner of the annual test matches -- between 1 and 3 games in any given year -- between the All Blacks and the Wallabies takes possession of the Bledisloe Cup, named after Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe, Governor-General of New Zealand from 1930 to 1935, who donated the trophy.
There has been a Rugby World Cup every 4 years since 1987. Australia and New Zealand were joint hosts the 1st time. New Zealand have hosted alone in 2011, and won in 1987, 2011 and 2015. Australia have hosted alone in 2003; and won in 1991 and 1999.
In 1996, with the fall of apartheid in South Africa, the Tri-Nations Championship was founded, with New Zealand taking the 1st tournament. In 2012, Argentina were invited to make it a 4-team competition, titled simply "The Rugby Championship," in effect the title for the Southern Hemisphere.
As of August 15, 2022, New Zealand have won 120 matches, Australia 45, and there have been 8 draws.
UPDATE: As of New Zealand's 28-14 win in Perth on October 4, 2025, they lead, 128-45-8, having won the last 11. Australia's last win over New Zealand was on November 7, 2020 in Brisbane.
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August 15, 1903 was a Saturday. In America, these games were played in baseball that day:
* The New York Highlanders lost to the Cleveland Naps, 6-5 at the 1891-1909 version of League Park in Cleveland. Willie Keeler went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Highlanders, who officially became the New York Yankees in 1913.
The Cleveland team was named for its manager and 2nd baseman, Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie, who went 4-for-5 with 2 RBIs on this day. They became the Cleveland Indians in 1915, and the Cleveland Guardians in 2022.
* The New York Giants lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 8-3 at the 1890-1911 version of the Polo Grounds. Frank "Noodles" Hahn outpitched Joe "Iron Man" McGinnity.
* The Brooklyn Superbas swept a doubleheader from the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-0 and 4-3 at Washington Park in Brooklyn. Oscar Jones pitched a 7-hit shutout in the 1st game. The Superbas became the Dodgers in 1911.
* The Boston Americans beat the Detroit Tigers, 6-3 at Bennett Park in Detroit. The Americans became the Red Sox in 1908.
* The Washington Senators beat the St. Louis Browns, 5-1 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.
* The Philadelphia Athletics beat the Chicago White Sox, 5-1 at South Side Park in Chicago. Eddie Plank outpitched Patsy Flaherty.
* A doubleheader was split at the 1894-1914 version of the South End Grounds in Boston. The Pittsburgh Pirates won the opener, 5-1. The Boston Beaneaters won the nightcap, 8-5. Over the 2 games, Honus Wagner went 3-for-8 with a walk. The Beaneaters went through some name changes until 1912, when they became the Boston Braves.
* And the Philadelphia Phillies were supposed to be playing the Chicago Cubs at Baker Bowl in Philadelphia. However, a partial stadium collapse moved this weekend's games to at West Side Park in Chicago, for September 18. The Cubs won the 1st game, 6-5. The Phillies won the 2nd game, 10-0. Charles "Chick" Frasier pitched a no-hitter.
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