The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union test side which dates back to 1888, when a composite team of English, Scottish, and Welsh players, known collectively as the Shaw and Shrewsbury Team, competed throughout Australia and New Zealand. Irish players then began to feature, the team began to tour regularly, and in 1950 the “Lions” moniker was officially adopted. The present-day team name, the British & Irish Lions, was first formally used in 2001, and Lions tours now take place every 4 years. Most tours are comprised of matches against club, provincial, or invitational sides, as well as a trio of test matches against the national team.
The most recent Lions tour took place in 2021 in South Africa, with the Coronavirus pandemic contributing to scheduling difficulties. The Lions’ famous travelling support was also not in attendance as the result of lockdown restrictions, but that won’t be the case in 2 years’ time, when the touring side takes on Australia, and thousands of passionate fans are there to see it all.
The 2025 British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia will commence in Perth on 28 June, with a match against Western Force. The Lions will then play 3 of the Force’s fellow Super Rugby Pacific teams, the Queensland Reds, the NSW Waratahs, and the ACT Brumbies, before a match against an Invitational Australia and New Zealand XV on 12 July, at the Adelaide Oval. The Invitational XV is expected to be comprised of Wallabies and All Blacks, providing an all-star opposition to the Lions in South Australia.
That fixture will then be followed by the Lions’ first test against Australia, on 19 July, at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium. The second test will take place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 26 July, in front of a potentially record-breaking Lions crowd of 100,000, after a match against the Melbourne Rebels on 22 July. The third and final test will be held at the Accor Stadium in Sydney, on 2 August, bringing over a month of world-class rugby union to a close.
Tickets for the Tour to Australia are not yet on sale, but refundable Priority Access Passes can be purchased by those who wish to guarantee themselves a chance to buy ticket-inclusive packages in the coming months.