Rugby Australia have confirmed that the Wallabies will host Ireland at Canberra in a warm-up match a fortnight out from the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
The Wallabies will play their first Test in the ACT in 10 years when they host Ireland on Saturday, September 18th, 2027, at GIO Stadium Canberra, which is 16 days before Ireland’s opening game against Portugal in Sydney and 13 days before Australia’s opener against Hong Kong-China in Perth.
Ireland will begin their World Cup campaign on Monday, October 4th at the Sydney Football Stadium with a Pool D opener against Portugal, (7.15am Irish time). They will then head to Perth ahead of playing Scotland there on Sunday, October 10th (10.45am Irish time), before travelling back to Melbourne to play Uruguay on Sunday, October 17th (4.45am Irish time).
This final warm-up match before the 2027 World Cup will be Ireland’s first Test in Canberra while the Wallabies have played five Tests at GIO Stadium Canberra between 1998 and 2017, winning all of them, with their most recent match a 45-20 victory over Argentina in 2017.
The Ireland squad will also play their opening two Nations Championship games in Australia this summer when facing Australia in Sydney Football Stadium on July 4th (kick-off 1am Irish time) and Japan at a venue to e confirmed, on July 11th (at 1am Irish time).