The 2016 Anzac Test (known as the Downer Anzac Test due to sponsorship) was a rugby league test match played between Australia and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

Hunter Stadium Newcastle International Sports Centre, known as McDonald Jones Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Newcastle, Australia. The ground is home to the Newcastle Knights (National Rugby League) and Newca ...

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

. It was the 17th Anzac Test played between the two nations since the first was played under the

Super League The Super League (officially known as the Betfred Super League due to sponsorship from Betfred and legally known as Super League Europe), is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of ...

banner in

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

. The game marked the international coaching debut of

Mal Meninga Malcolm Norman Meninga (; born 8 July 1960) is an Australian professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the Australian national team and a former professional rugby league footballer. Meninga is widely regarded as one of the fin ...

for Australia since taking over the position from

Tim Sheens Tim Sheens (born 30 October 1950) is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. Head Coach of the Australia national team between 2009 and 2015, he has also been the head coach of National Rugby League (NRL) club ...

in late 2015. Meninga, a 4 time

Kangaroo Tour Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France, tours to New Zealand and the one-off tour to Papua New Guinea (1991). The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours to ...

ist (the only player ever to do so), a

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...

winning captain and a veteran of 46 tests for Australia between 1982–94, has previously coached

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

to 9

State of Origin series The State of Origin series is an annual best-of-three rugby league series between two Australian state representative sides, the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons. Referred to as “Australian sport's greatest rivalry”, the ...

wins in 10 years (including a record 8 series wins in succession from 2006-2013) in the years prior to taking over as Kangaroos coach. This was the first of two matches between Australia and New Zealand before the

2016 Rugby League Four Nations The 2016 Rugby League Four Nations tournament (known as the 2016 Ladbrokes Four Nations, for sponsorship purposes) was the fifth staging of the Rugby League Four Nations tournament and was played in England in October and November. The series was ...

in late October and November. The second match will be played at the nib Stadium in

Perth Perth is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the Australian states and territories of Australia, state of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth most populous city in Aust ...

, Western Australia on

15 October Events Pre-1600 *1066 – Following the death of Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, Edgar the Ætheling is proclaimed King of England by the Witan; he is never crowned, and concedes power to William the Conqueror two months later. *1211 ...

. Meninga broke tradition and named the Australian team a few days early, which included 4 debutants; Blake Ferguson,

Josh McGuire Joshua McGuire (born 2 March 1990) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a and for the Warrington Wolves in the Betfred Super League. He has played for Samoa and Australia at international level. He previously played for t ...

, Michael Morgan and Fijian-born

Semi Radradra Semi Radradra Turagasoli Waqavatu (born 13 June 1992) is a Fijian professional rugby union and rugby league footballer. He currently plays rugby union for the English club Bristol Bears and the Fiji national team. Nicknamed 'Semi Traile ...

. The New Zealand team was named on 1 May.

Pre-game

National anthems

* Russ Walker - New Zealand National Anthem * Adrian Li Donni - Australian National Anthem

Squads

¹ -

Peta Hiku Peta Hiku (born 4 December 1992) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a er and for the North Queensland Cowboys in the NRL, and New Zealand and the New Zealand Māori at international level. He previously playe ...

was originally selected to play but withdrew due to injury. He was replaced by Gerard Beale.
² -

Shaun Kenny-Dowall Shaun Kenny-Dowall (born 23 January 1988) is a New Zealand international rugby league footballer who plays as a and er for Hull Kingston Rovers in the Super League. He is the current club captain. He previously played for the Sydney Roos ...

and Brad Takairangi were originally selected to play but both players withdrew. Tohu Harris was shifted from five-eighth to centre and

Kodi Nikorima Kodi Nikorima (born 3 April 1994) is an Australia-based New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a and for the Dolphins in the National Rugby League. He previously played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, the New Zeal ...

was shifted from the bench to five-eighth as a result. *

Aidan Guerra Aidan Guerra (born 25 February 1988) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played for the Sydney Roosters, with whom he won the 2013 NRL Grand Final, and the Newcastle Knights in the NRL. He represented both Italy and Australia ...

and Michael Jennings were a part of the Kangaroos squad but did not play in the match. * Alex Glenn and

Danny Levi Daniel "Danny" Levi (born 5 December 1996) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Canberra Raiders in the NRL. He has played for New Zealand national rugby league team, New Zealand, New Zealand Māori rugby league tea ...

were a part of the Kiwis squad but did not play in the match.

Match summary

Notes: * This was the annual 2016 Anzac Test. * Australia's win ended a 3-match losing streak against New Zealand. * This was the first time New Zealand were held scoreless in a test-match since 2007. * With the victory, Australia reclaim the Bill Kelly Memorial Trophy. * Martin Taupau and

Sam Moa Samuela "Sam" Moa (born 14 August 1986) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a , most recently for the FC Lézignan XIII in the French Elite One Championship. He is both Tonga and New Zealand international. Moa has p ...

made their 10th test appearance for New Zealand. * Blake Ferguson,

, Michael Morgan and Fijian-born

made their international debuts for Australia while

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (born 17 August 1995) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a er or for the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL and New Zealand at international level. He previously played for the Penrith Pan ...

, Kenny Bromwich and Manu Maʻu made their international debuts for New Zealand.

Women's Test

Women's rugby league Women's rugby league is the female-only version of Rugby league. There are women's clubs in Australia, Great Britain, and New Zealand, overseen internationally by the Women & Girls Rugby League. Australia, France, England and New Zealand co ...

match between the

Australian Jillaroos The Australia women's national rugby league team, also known as the Australian Jillaroos, or Harvey Norman Jillaroos for sponsorship reasons, represents Australia in women's rugby league. They are administered by the Australian Rugby League Com ...

and New Zealand

Kiwi Ferns The New Zealand women's national rugby league team, also known as the Kiwi Ferns or New Zealand Kiwi Ferns, represents New Zealand in Women's rugby league. They are administered by the New Zealand Rugby League. New Zealand won the Women's Ru ...

will serve as the curtain-raiser for the main game. New Zealand coach Alan Jackson named an 18-strong squad in preparation for the Trans-Tasman Test. A few days later, Australian coach Steve Folkes announced his 18-strong squad for the Trans-Tasman Test.

Women's squads

*The 18th woman is a cover for a possible injury or suspension and unless called up to the starting line-up or the bench, does not actually play.

Match summary

References

{{2016 in rugby league 2016 in Australian rugby league 2016 in New Zealand rugby league Anzac Test Rugby league in Newcastle, New South Wales International rugby league competitions hosted by Australia