Bledisloe Cup: All Blacks stretch the streak to 13
New Zealand sealed the 2026 Bledisloe Cup with a 50-19 win at Eden Park on 10 October, then beat Australia 43-21 at Accor Stadium in Sydney on 17 October. The first half decided it: the All Blacks led 36-7 at the break, and the Wallabies' stronger second-half showing came too late.
It was Australia's 13th straight defeat against New Zealand and the second in this series under head coach Les Kiss. Their last win in the fixture was in Brisbane in November 2020, when Dave Rennie was in charge of the Wallabies. Rennie now coaches the All Blacks. New Zealand have held the trophy for 24 consecutive years, and the Test finished with Australia down to 14 players in the closing minutes.
The two sides will meet again at the 2027 Rugby World Cup, with the pool game scheduled for Sydney. Rennie has already pointed out how the draw could send the winner into a quarter-final against South Africa.
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Oct 2026 | Eden Park, Auckland | New Zealand 50 – 19 Australia |
| 17 Oct 2026 | Accor Stadium, Sydney | Australia 21 – 43 New Zealand |
Champions Cup round 1: tries, red cards and a draw
The 2026/27 Champions Cup opened with 109 tries across 12 games, an average of 9.1 per match. That is up from 8.1 in last season's pool stage, even though the new try bonus rule, which only rewards a side that scores three more tries than its opponent, handed out just six bonus points.
Toulouse survive a red card to beat Exeter
Toulouse had prop Rodrigue Neti sent off in the 16th minute for a high tackle on Ross Vintcent, then played more than an hour a man short. They trailed 24-33 at one stage, yet won 43-40 on the back of tries from Romain Ntamack and Matias Remue, who scored the winner. Exeter centre Zack Wimbush scored a hat-trick and the Chiefs left with a losing bonus point.
Bordeaux Bègles held at Kingsholm
The two-time defending champions drew 36-36 at Gloucester, five tries each. Their run of 16 consecutive Champions Cup wins ended, though they stay unbeaten in 17 games in the competition. Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored twice and now sits one try behind Antoine Dupont and Tommy Bowe on the all-time list, with Chris Ashton's record of 41 still some way off.
Leinster, Glasgow and the Bulls make statements
Leinster scored seven tries at Clermont, two of them from hooker Dan Sheehan, who now has 17 in the competition. Glasgow Warriors won at Sale by 20 points, and the Bulls thrashed Stade Français 56-20, with winger Cheswill Jooste scoring the first Champions Cup hat-trick by a South African franchise player. Montpellier took the second half 22-0 to win at Bath, and Northampton became the first English club to win in this edition.
| Pool | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pau | 41 – 17 | Leicester Tigers |
| 1 | Clermont | 23 – 48 | Leinster |
| 1 | Sale Sharks | 27 – 47 | Glasgow Warriors |
| 2 | Toulouse | 43 – 40 | Exeter Chiefs |
| 2 | La Rochelle | 31 – 14 | Lions |
| 2 | Connacht | 45 – 36 | Saracens |
| 3 | Gloucester | 36 – 36 | Bordeaux Bègles |
| 3 | Stormers | 49 – 12 | Bristol Bears |
| 3 | Munster | 33 – 25 | Racing 92 |
| 4 | Bath | 14 – 32 | Montpellier |
| 4 | Bulls | 56 – 20 | Stade Français |
| 4 | Northampton Saints | 28 – 12 | Cardiff |
Challenge Cup round 1: Harlequins run riot
The Challenge Cup produced 71 tries in nine games. Harlequins were the stars, scoring nine tries in a 57-19 win over Vannes, with two each for Marcus Smith, Cadan Murley and Will Evans. Bayonne edged the Cheetahs 29-27 after a late Herschel Jantjies try, and Toulon won at Edinburgh through two scores from Melvyn Jaminet.
South African interest stayed high: the Sharks beat Lyon 40-33 in France with six tries, two from centre Litelihle Bester, though Lyon still took a losing bonus point. The Cheetahs also lost narrowly at Bayonne and left with a losing bonus point.
| Pool | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dragons | 29 – 14 | Perpignan |
| 1 | Zebre | 21 – 40 | Ulster |
| 1 | Bayonne | 29 – 27 | Cheetahs |
| 2 | Lyon | 33 – 40 | Sharks |
| 2 | Castres | 18 – 9 | Benetton |
| 2 | Scarlets | 47 – 14 | Newcastle Falcons |
| 3 | Edinburgh | 17 – 27 | Toulon |
| 3 | Harlequins | 57 – 19 | Vannes |
| 3 | Black Lion | 14 – 39 | Ospreys |
Rugby League World Cup: Tonga stun England
At the Rugby League World Cup in Perth on 17 October, Tonga beat England 30-12. It was the first time Tonga had ever beaten England, and it put the world number three side's semi-final hopes at risk before they have even met France and Papua New Guinea. Only two of the six teams in the group advance to the last four.
The semi-finals are scheduled for 7 and 8 November, and the final takes place at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on 15 November. This weekend, Tonga face Lebanon in Sydney on 23 October, England play France in Perth on 24 October, and New Zealand meet the Cook Islands in Christchurch before Australia take on Fiji in Brisbane on 25 October.
What to watch next
- November Tests: France have named a squad that recalls Grégory Alldritt and Damian Penaud, with seven uncapped players included.
- Premiership record watch: Christian Wade is one try away from Chris Ashton's all-time Premiership try record.
- Neti's ban: Toulouse prop Rodrigue Neti has been banned for three weeks after his red card against Exeter.
- Champions Cup round 2: returns on 11, 12 and 13 December 2026, with the final in Lyon on 22 May 2027.
For more previews, tables and match reports, visit our rugby news and scores hub.
Sources
- It's Rugby: Champions Cup round 1 results and pool tables
- It's Rugby: Challenge Cup round 1 results and pool tables
- RugbyPass: Wallabies vs All Blacks, Bledisloe Cup 2026 report
- Wikipedia: 2026 Bledisloe Cup
- Associated Press: Tonga stuns England in Rugby League World Cup
- The Scotsman: Champions Cup 2026/27 format and key dates
- Flashscore: Australia v New Zealand match preview
- Rugby League World Cup 2026 fixture schedule