Wallabies announce Summer Test Fixtures, Dates and Venues

It will be 143 years since the last time the Wallabies played in Newcastle, but in 2012 the city will host the opening Test of the season against Scotland in a mid-week Test to kick-off a new-look international rugby union season for Australia.
In a press conference this morning to announce the June 5th game against Scotland, the Australian Rugby Union paid tribute to the new stadium in Newcastle, noting that this was the first international game to be held outside one of Australia’s major cities in the modern era.
Adam Ashley-Cooper, who hails from the Central Coast and grew up playing rugby league and rugby union in the Hunter and Central Coast regions, was on hand to talk about playing in Newcastle for the Wallabies:
“I’m very excited to come back – once I left school and played in Sydney and moved down to Canberra for the last eight years and I never thought I’d have to chance to play in a Test and represent my country back here in the Hunter.”
“There is a strong level of support for the game in the Hunter – and a great history of Wallabies to have come from the region – so I’m sure that a big crowd will come out to get behind us against Scotland.”
Channel Nine will have the free-to-air TV rights to the game but with a Tuesday night time-slot for the game, the ARU was unable to say if the game will be live through the main station or digital channel GEM – or on delay.
ARU Deputy CEO Matt Carroll ruled out the possibility of Newcastle and other cities without major stadiums hosting a bigger match, such as a Bledisloe, noting the likely drop in revenue, with Brisbane and Sydney the only venues that are considered suitable.
The ARU also revealed their domestic winter schedule, played during the June international window, which features a traditional three-Test tour by Wales.
The Wallabies warm up for that series with the Tuesday night clash with the Scots at Ausgrid Stadium in Newcastle on June 5.
The Warren Gatland coached Welsh team, which lost the Rugby World Cup third place play-off 21-18 to Australia last month, will play traditional Tests against the Wallabies in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney over consecutive weekends.
The Sydney Test will mark a return to afternoon rugby at the Sydney Football Stadium, the first since 1998.
The four in-bound Tests will be played during a four-week break of the Super Rugby season.
Argentina will then join a rebranded and expanded Tri Nations Test series which will kick off after the Super Rugby finals in August.
ARU boss John O’Neill said the return to the traditional June Tests was a win for rugby fans.
“A return to a three-Test series as we will play against Wales is an opportunity to build anticipation, excitement and momentum during the course of the tour,” O’Neill said.
“It is a long time since we have had that opportunity, to experience a heavyweight northern hemisphere opponent in our backyard for three Tests.
“I’m delighted too that Wales will be that opponent in 2012. I think all Australians understand what the Welsh are capable of in terms of exciting and attacking rugby.
The Wallabies’ June Test schedule: (Kick-off times and ticket on sale dates for all four June Tests will be announced in early 2012.)
June 5 Wallabies v Scotland at Ausgrid Stadium, Newcastle.
June 9 Wallabies v Wales at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane.
June 16 Wallabies v Wales at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne.
June 23 Wallabies v Wales at Sydney Football Stadium.

MBTGOG wrote:Scotland will most likely be playing an Aussie Super Rugby side as well and hopefully Wales will follow suit and do something similar. We need to bring this back into the game as it spreads the game to more people and brings back a lot of the magic in rugby culture that has gone missing.

I know that! I'll put it another way. Why do we play three one test series instead of one three test series?

MBTGOG wrote:Scotland will most likely be playing an Aussie Super Rugby side as well and hopefully Wales will follow suit and do something similar. We need to bring this back into the game as it spreads the game to more people and brings back a lot of the magic in rugby culture that has gone missing.