The Rose Bowl — women's cricket's most storied bilateral trophy between Australia and New Zealand — has been extended beyond ODI cricket to cover T20I series as well, beginning with a standalone T20I series opening at North Sydney Oval on Sunday, 19 October 2026. The move, jointly proposed by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and Cricket Australia (CA), means the trophy is now contested across all bilateral white-ball formats between the two nations.

A Trophy With a 41-Year History

The Rose Bowl was first introduced in 1985 and has been contested 31 times — exclusively in ODI cricket until now. Australia have held the trophy continuously since February 2000, a dominance of more than two decades. The upcoming T20I series marks the first time the Rose Bowl will be on the line in a standalone T20I fixture.

The trophy will be at stake twice this summer. Following the T20I series, New Zealand are scheduled to return to Australia in March for three ODIs in Canberra and Melbourne.

How the New Format Rules Work

For series that include both ODI and T20I cricket, the Rose Bowl winner will be determined by the most wins overall across all matches. In the event of a tied series, the current holder retains the trophy. This format preserves the competitive integrity of the trophy while accommodating the growing volume of T20I fixtures on the international calendar.

What the Officials Said

Catherine Campbell, NZC's Chief Cricket Operations Officer and a former player, described the expansion as an exciting new era for the competition. “The Rose Bowl is a prestigious trophy that holds a lot of meaning to current and past players, and it’s a series we’ve always taken a lot of pride in competing in,” Campbell said. “With so much T20I cricket now being played, this is a brilliant opportunity to keep the Rose Bowl relevant and to build on the history between us and our Australian rivals.”

New Zealand captain Melie Kerr emphasised the cultural significance of the trophy within the White Ferns' identity. “We’re all aware of what the Rose Bowl represents and the importance it holds in the WHITE FERNS whakapapa,” Kerr said. “Great players and teams have fought for it over the years, and we’d love the opportunity to claim our own piece of that history.”

Australia captain Sophie Molineux welcomed the added stakes, saying the expansion “adds another level of excitement” to an already meaningful contest. “We know how much this contest means to both sides, and we’re looking forward to getting out there and competing for the trophy in front of a home crowd in Sydney,” Molineux said.

The Series Record and Context

New Zealand have not won an ODI series against Australia this century, though they have been more competitive in the shorter format. Their last T20I series win over Australia came in 2017. In the overall T20I ledger between the two sides, Australia lead with 12 series wins to New Zealand’s four, with one series drawn. Across 45 T20Is played between the rivals, Australia have won 26 to the White Ferns’ 18.

The expansion of the Rose Bowl reflects a broader push by cricket boards to maintain the relevance of bilateral trophies as international schedules grow increasingly congested with multi-format tours. Whether New Zealand can finally end Australia’s long stranglehold on the trophy — in either format — remains the central storyline heading into this summer.