The Wallabies will play Fiji in their third July Test of 2020, heading to Townsville’s brand new stadium for the match.
North Queensland Stadium, the new 25,000-seat, $290 million stadium set to open later this month, will host the first ever Wallabies Test in the city on July 18, while the Wallaroos will take on Canada to make the day a double-header.
The match against Fiji will be the Wallabies’ third of July, coming a week after their second and final clash against Ireland.
“The Wallabies and Wallaroos are coming to Townsville for the first time this July and we are ready to turn the city gold ahead of this historic double-header,” Rugby Australia CEO said in announcing the fixtures.
“We were hugely impressed by Queensland Country Bank Stadium and the offering it will provide for fans, both from the North Queensland region and for those travelling from interstate and abroad. It’s a world-class facility that the sports-loving people of North Queensland have been craving for many years and we look forward to being one of the first sports to experience the venue.
“Fiji have proven themselves to be well and truly on the rise, and I know Dave Rennie and the rest of the Wallabies coaches are preparing for another very tough contest.
“We’re also delighted that the Buildcorp Wallaroos will share the stage in Townsville and continue their growth ahead of their Rugby World Cup next year. Head Coach Dwayne Nestor has done a great job of developing the team on the field but also connecting with the community off-the-field, and we’ll be looking to continue that when we visit the region.”
While the Wallabies have never played in the North Queensland City, Townsville has hosted Test rugby in the past. The last match played there came in the 2003 World Cup, when Fiji took on Japan.
The Townsville match is Fiji’s first trip to Australia since their 2017 Test in Melbourne, and comes soon after the two sides met in the opening Group D game of last year’s World Cup. The Wallabies won that encounter 39-21, weathering an early scare from the Fijians and dominating the second half to finish comfortable victors.
In announcing the Test against Fiji, Rugby AU has finalised the Wallabies’ home schedule for 2020, which also features a visit from Ireland, a fixture in Newcastle against Argentina, as well as the regular Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup matches.
| Date | Fixture | Venue | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat Jul 4 | Australia vs Ireland | Suncorp Stadium | July Tests |
| Sat Jul 11 | Australia vs Ireland | SCG | July Tests |
| Sat Jul 18 | Australia vs Fiji | North Queensland Stadium | July Tests |
| Sat Aug 8 | Australia vs New Zealand | Marvel Stadium | Bledisloe Cup |
| Sat Aug 15 | New Zealand vs Australia | Sky Stadium | Bledisloe Cup |
| Sat Aug 29 | Australia vs South Africa | Optus Stadium | The Rugby Championship |
| Sat Sep 5 | Australia vs Argentina | McDonald Jones Stadium | The Rugby Championship |
| Sat Sep 19 | South Africa vs Australia | Loftus Versfeld | The Rugby Championship |
| Sat Sep 26 | Argentina vs Australia | Estadio Jose Amalfitani | The Rugby Championship |
| Sat Oct 17 | Australia vs New Zealand | Suncorp Stadium | Bledisloe Cup |
| Sat Nov 7 | Ireland vs Australia | Aviva Stadium | Spring Tour |
| Sat Nov 14 | France vs Australia | Stade de France | Spring Tour |
| Sat Nov 28 | England vs Australia | Twickenham | Spring Tour |
Johnny the kid
Guest
the irish need some time off to let their players visit family in new zealand and south africa. The rest can't stay too long because they'll frazzle.
Alex
Guest
family opening day is this weekend with elton john being the first event there in a couple of weeks
Malo
Guest
Fiji should get the chocolates . Rennie will be lucky to get a win this year.
pm
Roar Rookie
Could become a great regular venue for matches against pacific islands teams. Local hotels can sell package deals to the rest of Oz
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
No idea mate, I thought it was all ready to go.
Micko
Roar Rookie
When does it open?
Adsa
Roar Rookie
Airlie Beach home of the Whitsunday Raiders RUFC
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
So great having a two series match against Ireland to start off. Interestingly, isn’t that the fixtures that Deans started with in June 2008?
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
Yeah it should attract a bit of business for big music acts too, going to be a winner for a lot of reasons I reckon.
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
Yeah gotta say it looks like a pretty impressive stadium, should be very useful for many purposes. You live in FNQ, Adsa?
Adsa
Roar Rookie
Well done RA, I'm buying tickets and heading to the Ville for the weekend with my two sons. Might give the Brewery a workout on Friday night before the game.
Big Steve
Guest
why is the irish series only 2 games?
Bobby
Roar Rookie
How good is that. At least the turnout in Townsville should be great. New stadium in the middle of town instead of 1300smile out in the sticks in the twin city!