The Wallabies will face Ireland in Canberra on 18 September 2027 — just nine days before their Rugby World Cup opener against Hong Kong in Perth. Rugby Australia has confirmed the fixture as the final warm-up match before the home tournament begins, marking the first Wallabies Test at GIO Stadium Canberra in a decade.
Wallabies vs Ireland 2027 Brings International Rugby Back to Canberra
The last time Australia played a Test in the national capital, they hammered Argentina 45-27 in 2017. Now, under the watch of Irish head coach Andy Farrell, Ireland arrive as one of world rugby’s most formidable sides — making this a genuine examination, not a gentle loosener. Furthermore, it will be the first time the Wallabies and Ireland have ever met in Canberra, which gives the fixture a real sense of occasion.
Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh was understandably buzzing about the announcement. “The ACT is one of the world’s great rugby nurseries,” he said, pointing to last year’s record GIO Stadium crowd in 20 years for the Brumbies’ clash with the British & Irish Lions as proof the city’s appetite for big rugby remains enormous. The Wallaroos will also return to Canberra, hosting Scotland on 23 October this year — a fixture Waugh described as highly competitive given both sides sit level on the World Rugby rankings ladder.
Seven Tests Before the World Cup — Australia’s Depth Will Be Tested
This additional fixture takes Australia’s pre-tournament schedule to seven Tests before the World Cup kicks off. That is a significant step up from the five they played ahead of the 2023 tournament in France. Rugby Australia have also committed to a full Rugby Championship rather than the truncated version typically staged in World Cup years — and that decision carries real risk.
Cast your mind back to 2023. Australia lost Allan Alaalatoa, Michael Hooper and Len Ikitau during the Rugby Championship alone. Then Taniela Tupou and skipper Will Skelton both picked up injuries in training after the opening World Cup game. A fuller schedule demands a fuller squad. There is no hiding place this time.
Meanwhile, the backdrop to Canberra’s Test hosting rights is not entirely straightforward. The city missed out on becoming a Rugby World Cup host city, and GIO Stadium’s long-term future remains a live debate. Former Wallabies back-rower and current senator David Pocock continues to campaign for a new stadium, while the venue made headlines recently when a shattered window in the coaches box cut Canterbury Bulldogs head coach Cameron Ciraldo’s hand during his side’s NRL win over the Raiders. Whatever happens off the pitch, on it, Canberra is getting its biggest Wallabies moment in ten years.