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British and Irish Lions: Nine fixtures confirmed for 2025 tour
A nine-match schedule has been confirmed by the British and Irish Lions for their 2025 tour in Australia. The itinerary is made up of a three-Test series versus Eddie Jones’ Wallabies, a pre-first Test clash against an invitational Australian and New Zealand XV as well as games against all five of Australia’s Super Rugby Pacific teams. Before arriving in Australia for those nine matches, the Lions will also play a pre-tour warm-up fixture against a yet-to-be-announced opposition.
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A statement read: “The British and Irish Lions have released the nine-match schedule for the 2025 Tour to Australia, including three Test matches against the Wallabies that will take place on July 19, July 26 and August 2 in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney respectively.
“The Lions will begin the tour in Perth against the Western Force before facing fellow Australian Super Rugby Pacific sides, the Queensland Reds, the NSW Waratahs and the ACT Brumbies. They will then continue their preparation for the first Test by facing an invitational Australian and New Zealand team in Adelaide.
“Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium will host the first Test followed by a midweek fixture against the Melbourne Rebels before the second Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). A potential sell-out crowd of 100,000 would be a record for a British and Irish Lions Test and also represent one of the highest attendances in history at a rugby match. The final Test will then be played in Sydney.
“A strong partnership and a common goal between the British and Irish Lions, Premiership Rugby and the URC has resulted in the Lions having a two-week preparation period before the tour commences. Further detail around pre-tour activities, including a pre-tour warm-up fixture, will be announced at a later stage.”
Lions CEO Ben Calveley said: “We are delighted to announce the tour schedule as we look ahead to what is to be one of the most eagerly anticipated series in history. I want to take the opportunity to thank Rugby Australia for the strong level of collaboration in planning for this tour and we look forward to continuing to work with them over the next two years.
“I would also like to thank Premiership Rugby and the URC whose cooperation has resulted in the longest preparation period for a tour in recent history and gives us the best possible chance of a series victory.”
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Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh added: “The British and Irish Lions tour is one of the great sporting festivals – it is a real landmark of Australian and world sport. Rugby Australia is looking forward to welcoming back the Lions for the first time in 12 years, as well as the tens of thousands of Lions fans from the northern hemisphere.
“It is an exciting fixture of matches all around the country with the Lions taking on our Super Rugby franchises, three massive Test matches, and a marquee match in Adelaide featuring a combined invitational Australia-New Zealand side.”
2025 Lions tour to Australia
June 28: vs Western Force, Perth (Optus Stadium);
July 2: vs Queensland Reds, Brisbane (Suncorp Stadium);
July 5: vs NSW Waratahs, Sydney (Allianz Stadium);
July 9: vs ACT Brumbies, Canberra (GIO Stadium);
July 12: vs Invitational AU and NZ, Adelaide (Adelaide Oval);
July 19: 1st Test vs Wallabies, Brisbane (Suncorp Stadium);
July 22: vs Melbourne Rebels, Melbourne (Marvel Stadium);
July 26: 2nd Test vs Wallabies, Melbourne (Melbourne Cricket Ground);
Aug 2: 3rd Test vs Wallabies, Sydney (Accor Stadium).
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Big empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
34 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
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