England

The Wallabies will embark on a Grand Slam tour of the UK and Ireland for the first time in 25 years following approval of a match against England at Twickenham on November 7.

The confirmation comes a quarter of a century after the 1984 Wallabies – coached by Alan Jones and captained by Andrew Slack – became the first Australian side in history to beat all four Home Unions of England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland on an end-of-year tour.

Negotiations to secure the match have also involved Australia inviting Fiji to play a Test against the Wallabies in Australia on June 5 next year.

This follows an arrangement whereby England and Australia will be attempting to alleviate financial difficulties for the Fijian Rugby Union and still provide them with quality international competition.

"We’re delighted to confirm that a Grand Slam tour, after all these years, is back on our calendar again," said ARU managing director and CEO John O’Neill.

"The long trips to the UK and Ireland to play all four Home Unions are an integral part of the rich history and tradition of the Wallabies. Certainly the last of them, in 1984, was an unforgettable tour.

"The 1984 squad achieved unprecedented success, but the way they went about rewriting the history books and the wonderful surge they gave the game in terms of profile and popularity can not be forgotten. This was a team that played exciting Rugby. Mark Ella at flyhalf scored a try in each Test.

"There were other all time Wallaby greats in the side from David Campese, Michael Lynagh and Nick Farr-Jones in the backline to Simon Poidevin, Tom Lawton and numerous others in the pack. I’m delighted the footsteps of the 1984 Grand Slam Wallabies will, for the first time in 25 years, be retraced by our current national side."

Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock has welcomed the Grand Slam announcement as the Australian side prepares in Melbourne for the second Test against Italy at Etihad Stadium on Saturday .

"The opportunity to go on a Grand Slam tour is massive," Mortlock said.

"It’s been too long since Australia was last able to do one of these tours.

"I was only seven-years-old at the time of the last one. Consequently I don’t have any real memories of that tour, although I have obviously seen television footage of Mark Ella, Nick Farr Jones and the like carving up.

"The rarity with which Grand Slam tours take place highlights the significance of the honour that they represent, in terms of winning selection and being a part of something that is clearly so special. Many great Australian players never received the opportunity that the current team will have later in the year. Every member of our group is really excited about the itinerary that we have in front of us.”

The Wallabies will open their Grand Slam campaign against England at Twickenham on Saturday, November 7.

They will play Ireland at Croke Park in Dublin on Sunday, November 15 before heading to Scotland for a Test at Murrayfield on Saturday, November 21.

The last Test of the Grand Slam tour will be against Wales in Cardiff on  November 28.

"Last year’s Spring Tour was a great experience for everyone involved, and this one will be even better," said Wallabies coach Robbie Deans.

"The history that is associated with the Grand Slam, and the fact that very few teams have been able to pull it off, underlines the fact that playing the four Home Unions on the same tour is one of the toughest challenges in international Rugby.

"For our group, in terms of development – both of the players individually, and the Wallabies as a team collectively – the timing of this tour could not be any better.

"It will be a massive challenge, but one that we will be ready for."

Deans understands how hard it is to play each of the home unions in the UK and Ireland – he has personal experience of Murrayfield and Twickenham, having made his All Blacks debut as a fullback against Scotland at Edinburgh in 1983 (NZ only drew that game before losing to England at Twickenham the following week).

To complete the Grand Slam schedule, ARU required a Test against England.

This became possible when the Rugby Football Union in England cancelled a match against Fiji on November 28 as part of a package of global measures designed to enhance the financial position of the Fiji Rugby Union.

The FRU has been faced with the loss of its major sponsor and a significant loss for the last financial year.

Under the financial proposal approved by the International Rugby Board, the RFU will channel a significant portion of the surplus generated by the Test against Australia to the Fiji Rugby Union.

Fiji will also replace its match against England with a Test against USA on November 28.

With thanks to ARU