Mandela Challenge Plate

The Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate is a rugby union trophy contested between Australia and South Africa. It is named after South Africa's first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela.

Mandela Challenge Plate
SportRugby union
Instituted2000
Number of teams2
Country Australia
 South Africa
Holders South Africa (2024)
Most titles Australia (13 titles)

History

edit

Initially designed to be held every two years, the trophy was first contested as a one-off match in 2000, with Australia winning the game 44-23 at Melbourne's Docklands Stadium. The second, played in Ellis Park, Johannesburg in 2002, was also South Africa's home game in the Tri Nations, and was won 33–31 by South Africa. The 2004 event, delayed until 2005, was played over two legs, and was not part of the Tri Nations. Since South Africa were the holders, Australia needed to win both games to reclaim the trophy. Australia won the first game 30–12, but lost the return leg at Ellis Park, 33–20.

Between 2006 and 2011, with the expansion of the Tri Nations series so that each country plays each other three times, the plate was contested over three Tests, akin to the Bledisloe Cup, with the exception of 2007 and 2011, when teams only played 4 games each, to accommodate for the Rugby World Cups in those years. In 2012, the Tri Nations was expanded to include Argentina and the competition was renamed The Rugby Championship. The teams now play each other twice, and the challengers are required to beat the holders in both games to win the plate.[1]

The trophy is a leather-clad silver plate containing a 24 carat (100%) rim, and a central gold disk showing a Wallaby and a Springbok (the icons of the two teams).[2] It was designed by Flynn Silver, an Australian family company from Kyneton, Victoria.

Matches

edit
Details P   Australia   South Africa D Australia points South Africa points
  Australia 23 17 5 1 564 455
  South Africa 18 3 14 1 328 534
Overall 41 20 19 2 890 989

Source:[3]

Results

edit
Year Date Venue Home Score Away Trophy
Winner
2024 17 August 2024 Perth Stadium, Perth Australia   12–30   South Africa  
10 August 2024 Lang Park, Brisbane Australia   7–33   South Africa
2023 8 July Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria South Africa   43–12   Australia  
2022 3 September 2022 Allianz Stadium, Sydney Australia   8–24   South Africa  
27 August 2022 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Australia   25–17   South Africa
2021 18 September Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Australia   30–17   South Africa  
12 September Robina Stadium, Robina, Queensland Australia   28–26   South Africa
2019 20 July Ellis Park, Johannesburg South Africa   35–17   Australia  
2018 29 September Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth South Africa   23–12   Australia  
8 September Lang Park, Brisbane Australia   23–18   South Africa
2017 30 September Free State Stadium, Blomfontein South Africa   27–27   Australia  
9 September Perth Oval, Perth Australia   23–23   South Africa
2016 1 October Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria South Africa   18–10   Australia  
10 September Lang Park, Brisbane Australia   23–17   South Africa
2015 18 July Lang Park, Brisbane Australia   24–20   South Africa  
2014 27 September Newlands, Cape Town South Africa   28–10   Australia  
6 September Subiaco Oval, Perth Australia   24–23   South Africa
2013 28 September Newlands, Cape Town South Africa   28–8   Australia  
7 September Lang Park, Brisbane Australia   12–38   South Africa
2012 29 September Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria South Africa   31–8   Australia  
8 September Subiaco Oval, Perth Australia   26–19   South Africa
2011 13 August Kings Park Stadium, Durban South Africa   9–14   Australia  
23 July Stadium Australia, Sydney Australia   39–20   South Africa
2010 4 September Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein South Africa   39–41   Australia  
28 August Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria South Africa   44–31   Australia
24 July Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Australia   30–13   South Africa
2009 5 September Lang Park, Brisbane Australia   21–6   South Africa  
29 August Subiaco Oval, Perth Australia   25–32   South Africa
8 August Newlands, Cape Town South Africa   29–17   Australia
2008 30 August Ellis Park, Johannesburg South Africa   53–8   Australia  
23 August Kings Park Stadium, Durban South Africa   15–27   Australia
19 July Subiaco Oval, Perth Australia   16–9   South Africa
2007 7 July Stadium Australia, Sydney Australia   25–17   South Africa  
16 June Newlands, Cape Town South Africa   22–19   Australia
2006 9 September Ellis Park, Johannesburg South Africa   24–16   Australia  
5 August Stadium Australia, Sydney Australia   20–18   South Africa
15 July Lang Park, Brisbane Australia   49–0   South Africa
2005 23 July Ellis Park, Johannesburg South Africa   33–20   Australia  
9 July Stadium Australia, Sydney Australia   30–12   South Africa
2002 17 August Ellis Park, Johannesburg South Africa   33–31   Australia  
2000 8 July Docklands Stadium, Melbourne Australia   44–23   South Africa  

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "A short history of the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate - SuperSport - Football". www.supersport.com.
  2. ^ "Flynn Silver : Awards & Trophies". www.flynnsilver.com.au. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  3. ^ Pick and Go rugby archive Archived 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine – select Wallabies and Boks, Mandela Plate.
edit