The first match will be at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton on Wednesday 29 June at 7.05pm with the second at Sky Stadium in Wellington on Tuesday 12 July at 7.05pm. Both matches will be live and exclusive on SKY.

Ireland will bring an expanded squad to cater for the two mid-week matches which will be in addition to the three Test Steinlager Series against the All Blacks.

The Māori All Blacks have played Ireland on two previous occasions, the most famous being the New Zealand Natives 13-4 win at Landsdowne Road in Dublin in 1888. The only other match between the two sides was in 2010 at Rotorua International Stadium where the Māori All Blacks won a thrilling match 31-28.

The Māori All Blacks will play Ireland in two mid-week matches in Hamilton and Wellington in July, New Zealand Rugby announced today.

The first match will be at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton on Wednesday, June 29, and the second at Sky Stadium in Wellington on Tuesday, July 12.

Ireland will bring an expanded squad to cater for the two midweek matches, which will be in addition to the three-Test Steinlager Series against the All Blacks.

The Māori All Blacks have played Ireland on two previous occasions, the most famous being the New Zealand Natives 13-4 win at Lansdowne Rd in Dublin in 1888.

The only other match between the two sides was in 2010 at Rotorua International Stadium where the Māori All Blacks won a thrilling match 31-28.

“We look forward to welcoming Ireland, their players, management, and fans to Aotearoa, sharing our respective cultures, and celebrating our rich histories through rugby,” Māori All Blacks head coach Clayton McMillan said.

“Our rivalry goes back more than 100 years and that will only add to the occasion. To play the world’s fourth-ranked team in a two-match series is an exciting prospect and we expect both games to be huge challenges.

History of rugby union matches between Ireland and New Zealand

The New Zealand national rugby union team first played against Ireland in 1905, during the historic 1905–1906 All Blacks tour of Europe and North America, beating Ireland 15–0 at Lansdowne Road Dublin. The two teams have played a total of 33 Test matches, with the All Blacks winning 29 lreland winning 3 and one ending in a draw in the 1973 test match played in Dublin.

During the 2012 Irish Tour of New Zealand, New Zealand won all three tests, scoring 124 points to Ireland’s 29. This tour also saw New Zealand post the biggest winning margin against Ireland in their history with a score of 60-0 on 23 June 2012. On 24 November 2013 New Zealand were trailing 22-17 against Ireland in the final minute of the match and on the verge of their first ever loss to Ireland. Ireland gave up a penalty with under 30 seconds remaining, which ultimately led to New Zealand working their way up the field, ending in a try to tie the score. The try was converted at the second time of asking, handing New Zealand their perfect season.

Ireland eventually ended a 111-year wait for a victory at Soldier Field, Chicago with a 40-29 win on 5 November 2016. On 17 November 2018 Ireland beat New Zealand 16-9 at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin to record their first ever home win against the All Blacks.

During the Autumn Nations Series of 2021, Ireland defeated New Zealand 29-20 at home to record their third win in five against the All Blacks. Despite their desperately poor record against the All Blacks until 2016 the six matches between 2013 and 2021 were shared three each in highly contested encounters between teams at the top of the world rankings. As such, media in both countries have noted that a significant modern rivalry now exists between the two nations, which have similar population sizes.

The first match will be at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton on Wednesday 29 June at 7.05pm with the second at Sky Stadium in Wellington on Tuesday 12 July at 7.05pm. Both matches will be live and exclusive on SKY.

Ireland will bring an expanded squad to cater for the two mid-week matches which will be in addition to the three Test Steinlager Series against the All Blacks.

The Māori All Blacks have played Ireland on two previous occasions, the most famous being the New Zealand Natives 13-4 win at Landsdowne Road in Dublin in 1888. The only other match between the two sides was in 2010 at Rotorua International Stadium where the Māori All Blacks won a thrilling match 31-28.

“We look forward to welcoming Ireland, their players, management, and fans to Aotearoa, sharing our respective cultures, and celebrating our rich histories through rugby. Our rivalry goes back more than 100 years and that will only add to the occasion. To play the world’s fourth ranked team in a two-match series is an exciting prospect and we expect both games to be huge challenges.

“Playing in Aotearoa is always special, and we know we have huge support in both Te Whanganui a Tara and Kirikiriroa. We’re looking forward to spending time in those communities, connecting with the region’s local Iwi, Māori, Māori All Blacks fans and putting out a performance our whānau and fans can be proud of.”

McMillan will name his squad for the series next month including a new captain after respected hooker Ash Dixon’s departure for Japan last year after leading the team to a two-match series win over Manu Samoa.

Ireland Head Coach Andy Farrell said:

“The Māori All Blacks will provide a stern test of our squad strength and depth.  They are effectively a Test match side that have a proud tradition and impressive record of results.  This tour is a huge opportunity for the group to develop and test itself against the best in their own backyard.  Playing five games against such quality opposition will be of huge benefit to the group as we tour for the first time since 2018.”

Tickets for both matches will be available for public sale via AllBlacks.com and Ticketek from midday Friday 20 May at tickets.allblacks.com.