Bledisloe Cup in New Zealand: Kick-Off Time, Sky Sport and Three's Delayed Coverage
Updated (28 Oct): Both Tests have been played. The Sydney kick-off was 6pm New Zealand time, as New Zealand Rugby and the NZ Herald both listed, and the All Blacks won 43-21 (New Zealand Rugby's match report and 1News), so the open cell in the table is now filled.
The first Bledisloe Cup Test of 2026 was live in New Zealand on Sky Sport on Saturday 10 October, with the All Blacks and Australia kicking off at Eden Park that evening, and Three showed the whole match free-to-air later the same night. The second Test was in Sydney a week later, on Saturday 17 October, again live on Sky Sport, and the All Blacks won it 43-21 to complete a 2-0 series sweep. Nothing on free-to-air was live: Three's coverage was delayed, and for the Eden Park Test the delay was an hour and 45 minutes.
What time is the Bledisloe Cup in New Zealand?
Kick-off for the first Test was 7.10pm on Saturday 10 October at Eden Park in Auckland. New Zealand Rugby's fixture list and Eden Park's event page gave the same time, and Eden Park opened its gates at 5pm. The second Test kicked off at 6pm New Zealand time on Saturday 17 October.
| Date (NZ) | Test | Venue | Kick-off (NZ time) | Live | Free-to-air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 10 October | All Blacks v Australia, first Test | Eden Park, Auckland | 7.10pm | Sky Sport | Three, delayed: pre-game 8.25pm, match 8.55pm |
| Saturday 17 October | Australia v All Blacks, second Test (All Blacks won 43-21) | Accor Stadium, Sydney | 6.00pm | Sky Sport | Three, delayed: pre-game 8.30pm, match 9pm |
The 17 October kick-off was 6.00pm New Zealand time, 4pm in Sydney. New Zealand Rugby's team announcement on Friday 16 October gave it as “Kick off 4:00PM local time (6:00PM Saturday 17 October NZT)”, and the NZ Herald's how-to-watch piece of Thursday 15 October listed “6pm, Saturday, October 17 at Accor Stadium, Sydney”. The 5.45pm figure we had seen on Wikipedia and a Sydney venue listing didn't hold. The All Blacks won 43-21 after leading 36-7 at half-time, with two tries each to Josh Moorby and Beauden Barrett, according to New Zealand Rugby's match report and 1News.
What channel is the All Blacks game on?
Sky Sport, live. New Zealand Rugby says both Tests “will be broadcast live on Sky Sport”. When we read Sky's “Coming up on Sky Sport” listing on Thursday 1 October, it had New Zealand v Australia on Sky Sport 1 (channel 51) from 6pm on Saturday 10 October, a bit over an hour before kick-off. That listing can change in match week, so check Sky's guide on the day.
The same listing had te reo Māori commentary on Sky Sport 2 (channel 52) from 6.45pm. For the Sydney Test it showed Sky Sport 1 from 5.15pm on Saturday 17 October.
Sky Sport is a paid add-on to a Sky box, or a separate subscription through the Sky Sport Now app. We couldn't confirm a match-by-match Sky Sport Now listing for this Test, so look at the app's schedule before you rely on it. Our Freeview vs Sky comparison sets out what a Sky box adds over an aerial, and the NZ streaming price guide has the monthly costs side by side.
Is the Bledisloe Cup on free-to-air TV in NZ?
Yes, but delayed. In the Freeview guide we read on Thursday 8 October, Three has “All Blacks v Australia - Pre-game” from 8.25pm to 8.55pm on Saturday 10 October, then “All Blacks v Australia” from 8.55pm to 11.25pm. That puts Three's kick-off 1 hour 45 minutes behind the real one.
Three is free through an aerial or a Freeview box, and Sky boxes carry it too. Sky owns Three, and it said earlier in the season that every All Blacks match and Test for the rest of 2026 would be free to watch delayed on Three and ThreeNow. ThreeNow is the free streaming app, and it needs an account.
One caution. The 8.55pm start is the guide's time for delayed coverage, read two days out. It's a listing, not a promise, and Three can move it, so check the guide again on Saturday afternoon.
What's on Three before the rugby?
A normal Saturday evening until 8.25pm. The Freeview guide has ThreeNews at 6pm and the movie Scooby-Doo from 6.30pm to 8.25pm, with FBI following the rugby at 11.25pm. So while the Test is being played live on Sky Sport, Three is showing a family film.
If you're waiting for the Three broadcast and want the result to be a surprise, that's the stretch to stay off your phone: the live match kicks off at 7.10pm, so it will be well into its second half before Three's pre-game show starts.
Who is in the All Blacks squad for the Bledisloe Cup?
Codie Taylor captains a 34-man squad named on 29 September by head coach Dave Rennie. Taylor has the job because Ardie Savea is out with a shoulder injury. Scott Barrett is back after back surgery, and Shannon Frizell returns to the squad for the first time since 2023.
Richie Mo'unga, Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie are all there. Chiefs first five-eighth Josh Jacomb is the only player in the group without a Test cap. Besides Savea, the unavailable list includes Caleb Clarke, Anton Lienert-Brown, Patrick Tuipulotu and Ruben Love.
Rennie's line on the trophy itself: “We've held it since 2003 and we don't take that for granted.” The match-day 23 for Eden Park is named separately, closer to the game.
When is the second Bledisloe Cup Test?
It was on Saturday 17 October at Accor Stadium in Sydney, with a 6pm New Zealand kick-off, and the All Blacks won 43-21. It was a two-Test series this year, so that was the last of it. Sky's listing had its coverage starting at 5.15pm New Zealand time on Sky Sport 1.
Three's delayed slot for that night was in the Freeview guide as “All Blacks v Australia - Pre-game” from 8.30pm to 9pm on Saturday 17 October, then “All Blacks v Australia” from 9pm to 11pm (read on Wednesday 14 October).
FAQ
Can I watch the Bledisloe Cup live for free in NZ?
No. The live broadcast is on Sky Sport, which is paid. The free option is Three's delayed coverage.
What time does the All Blacks game start on Three?
For the Saturday 10 October Test, the Freeview guide has the pre-game show at 8.25pm and the match at 8.55pm.
Where is the first Bledisloe Cup Test being played?
Eden Park in Auckland. The second is at Accor Stadium in Sydney.
Rugby isn't the only import-and-local mix we follow. Three is also the New Zealand home of The Celebrity Traitors UK, TVNZ 1 has The Chase UK at 5pm, and there's a running Taskmaster NZ winners list. More how-to-watch pages are under guides.
Sources
- allblacks.com, 29 September 2026 — squad, captain, injuries, fixture dates and New Zealand kick-off times, and the line that both Tests are live on Sky Sport.
- allblacks.com, 16 October 2026 — Sydney team naming: kick-off 4pm local, 6pm NZT, live on Sky Sport.
- NZ Herald, 15 October 2026 — 6pm kick-off, Accor Stadium.
- allblacks.com match report, 17 October 2026 — 43-21, try scorers.
- 1News, 17 October 2026 — 43-21, half-time 36-7, series sweep.
- Eden Park event page — gates 5pm, kick-off 7.10pm on Saturday 10 October.
- Freeview NZ TV guide — Three's listings for Saturday 10 October, read on Thursday 8 October.
- Sky media release — delayed free coverage of All Blacks Tests on Three and ThreeNow for the rest of the 2026 season.
- Sky, “Coming up on Sky Sport” — Sky Sport 1 and Sky Sport 2 coverage start times for both Tests, read on Thursday 1 October.