NEW ZEALAND RUGBY has confirmed that Ireland’s three Tests against the All Blacks this summer will be played in Auckland, Dunedin, and Wellington.
The opening Test at Eden Park in Auckland will take place on Saturday 2 July, with the second Test at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin set for Saturday 9 July, before the series concludes at Sky Stadium in Wellington on Saturday 16 July.
All three games will kick off at 8.05am Irish time and will be shown live on Sky Sports in Ireland and the UK.
Ireland have never beaten the All Blacks on New Zealand soil and this will be their first tour in the country since 2012 when they lost the series 3-0, coming close to an upset in the second Test in Christchurch before being hammered 60-0 in the final Test in Hamilton.
Andy Farrell’s Ireland will head to New Zealand with a sense of self-belief, having beaten the Kiwi as recently as last November in Dublin.
Ireland also beat New Zealand in 2016 in Chicago and 2018 in Dublin under previous head coach Joe Schmidt, who is set to join the All Blacks as an independent selector in August.
It is expected that Farrell’s Ireland will also play two midweek games against the Māori All Blacks and/or a Super Rugby side during this summer’s tour, most likely ahead of the first and third Tests.
Today’s announcement from New Zealand Rugby did not include any details on those additional games, but Farrell is expected to bring a big squad of around 40 players on the tour as he looks to improve Ireland’s depth.
This tour will be another crucial stepping stone for Ireland towards the 2023 World Cup in France, where Farrell’s men could potentially meet New Zealand in the quarter-finals again depending on how both sides fare in their pools.
More immediately, though, it promises to be a riveting Test series as the All Blacks look to settle a score in this ever-growing rivalry between the two nations.
New Zealand Rugby also confirmed the details of All Blacks’ home fixtures in the 2022 Rugby Championship, which gets underway in August.
“The All Blacks have a big season ahead with the Steinlager Series against Ireland and a tough Rugby Championship schedule,” said New Zealand Rugby CEO, Mark Robinson.
“I know Foz [All Blacks head coach Ian Foster] and the team can’t wait for the season to kick-off and I’m sure fans feel the same way.
“We have not hosted Ireland since 2012 and Argentina have not played here since 2018, so we cannot wait to welcome two great rugby rivals and their fans to our country.”
Ireland’s three-Test series in New Zealand:
First Test, Saturday 2 July, 7.05pm [8.05am Irish time], Eden Park, Auckland
Second Test, Saturday 9 July, 7.05pm [8.05am], Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Third Test, Saturday 16 July, 7.05pm [8.05am], Sky Stadium, Wellington.
