IT’S been announced that Canberra will host its first rugby Test match in seven years when the Wallabies face Argentina during the Puma’s Australian leg of the 2017 Rugby Championship. 
Minister for Sport and Recreation Yvette Berry says Argentina has played a single Test match in Canberra in 2000, when they were soundly beaten by the Wallabies, 32-25.
Today (February 20) Berry was joined by Australian Rugby Union (ARU) chief operating officer Rob Clarke, Brumbies head coach and Wallabies assistant coach, Stephen Larkham, and Brumbies and Argentina scrumhalf, Tomas Cubelli to launch the match at GIO Stadium.
Berry says this cements Canberra as an international city which can be relied upon to host world-class sporting events.
“The inclusion of GIO Stadium as a venue on the Rugby Championship rotation puts Canberra in focus, not only amongst the three other competing nations, but the entire international rugby community,” Berry says.
The Rugby Championship is the pre-eminent annual international series in the world, featuring the four semi-finalists from the recent Rugby World Cup. Through this game against Argentina, Canberra will experience exposure to Japan, the Americas, Africa, the South Pacific and Eastern Europe.
The Wallabies and the Pumas will face off at GIO Stadium, Saturday, September 16. Tickets go on sale May 2.
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