Ireland and New Zealand will return to Chicago on Saturday, November 1st, nine years after the two countries met there for the first time in what proved to be a historic milestone in Irish rugby. It will be Irish head coach Andy Farrell’s first game back in charge after his sabbatical to coach the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia in the summer.
A Joe Schmidt-coached Irish side became the first senior men’s team to beat the All Blacks in a Test match at the 29th attempt in 111 years when they won 40-29 before a 62,300-capacity crowd at Soldier’s Field, home to the Chicago Bears American football team. The victory ended New Zealand’s winning streak of 18 matches.
Ireland lined out in the shape of a number eight to face the Haka to honour Anthony Foley, the Munster and Ireland international who had died suddenly the previous month in Paris. Foley, Munster’s head coach, was preparing his team for a European game against Racing. The Munster players in the Ireland team that day occupied the places at the front of the configuration.
Ireland scored tries through Jordie Murphy, CJ Stander, Conor Murray, Simon Zebo and Robbie Henshaw and had led by 17 points at the break, the biggest ever deficit their opponents had suffered at half-time. New Zealand stuck back with tries from TJ Perenara, Ben Smith and Scott Barrett to add to George Mola’s first-half effort, but Henshaw’s late try sealed the Irish win.
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The All Blacks took revenge two weeks later at the Aviva Stadium when they beat Ireland 21-9 in a clash marred by several controversial moments, while New Zealand have won the last two games between the countries, a 23-13 victory in the first of last year’s Autumn Nations series and before that a 28-24 success in the 2023 World Cup quarter-final at the Stade de France.
“The 2016 encounter at Soldier Field is one of the greatest moments in Irish Rugby history,” said IRFU chief executive Kevin Potts commenting on November’s fixture.
“The rivalry that has grown between our two teams since then is a testament to the quality, passion, and the respect that Ireland and New Zealand have for each other.
“The All Blacks have been the embodiment of sporting excellence for generations, and we have the utmost admiration for their outstanding contribution to our game. As we look forward to November 1st, we know rugby fans from around the world will once again come together to witness an unforgettable clash of two outstanding teams.”
The game at Solider Field will serve as the first of Ireland’s 2025 Autumn Nations Series fixtures, the remainder of which will be played at the Aviva Stadium. The IRFU confirmed Ireland will also play Japan (November 8th), Australia (November 15th) and South Africa (November 22nd) as part of the series.
Tickets for the New Zealand game will go on sale via Ticketmaster, starting with a presale starting on Thursday at 4pm before going on general sale at 4pm on Friday. Fans can register for the presale here.
Tickets details for the remaining autumn internationals will be shared in due course.
