how does the bledisloe cup work

The Bledisloe Cup is an annual rugby union competition between the national teams of New Zealand (the All Blacks) and Australia (the Wallabies). The current format is a two-match series played as part of the Rugby Championship. In this two-match series, New Zealand only has to win one of the matches to retain the title, while Australia must win both matches or at least win one match and secure a draw to claim the trophy. The team holding the Cup therefore has the advantage of only needing one win to keep it, while the challenger needs to either win both matches or outperform the holder in the series. The number of matches and exact format of the series has varied historically, but this two-match format has been in place recently. The Bledisloe Cup is named after Lord Bledisloe, New Zealand's governor-general from 1930 to 1935, who donated the trophy. The Cup is highly prestigious and represents a pinnacle of the trans-Tasman rugby rivalry. New Zealand has been the dominant holder historically, winning the trophy over 50 times, including a long successive run since 2002, while Australia has won it about 12 times. The matches also count towards the Rugby Championship standings.