1
{{item.n}}
Five-match schedule revealed for inaugural women’s British & Irish Lions tour
By Ned Lester
Five games have been confirmed for the inaugural women’s British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand, scheduled for September 2027.
The three-game Test series will be played in New Zealand’s major centres of Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, while two additional fixtures see the Lions take to Whangarei to face the Black Ferns XV and Hamilton for a clash with an invitational XV.
The Auckland Test will be played at Mt Smart Stadium instead of Eden Park, while Wellington will host a match at Sky Stadium, and Christchurch will host a game at the city’s soon-to-be-completed roofed One New Zealand Stadium.
VIDEO
The tour sees visitors travel from north to south over four weeks of action, with the invitational contest serving as the tour’s lone midweek game.
While an announcement on who will coach the Lions on the tour has yet to be made, December saw New Zealand Rugby appoint Whitney Hansen as the new Black Ferns head coach. Hansen succeeds Allan Bunting, who led the team to a third-place finish at the 2025 Rugby World Cup and opted not to seek a contract renewal for the coming World Cup cycle.
Whitney Hansen will become the second of her name to lead a New Zealand national team against the Lions, following her father, Sir Steve Hansen, who coached the All Blacks against the Lions in 2017. New Zealand Rugby signed the former Matatu and Black Ferns XV coach to a two-year deal, meaning her position is likely to be reviewed following the tour.
“This is a hugely significant milestone for the British & Irish Lions,” Lions chief executive Ben Calveley said in a statement.
“This announcement makes our first-ever tour feel closer for everyone, from fans planning their trip to players dreaming of pulling on the Lions jersey.”
New Zealand Rugby’s acting chief executive Steve Lancaster shared a similar sentiment.
“Starting in the north and finishing in the south was a deliberate decision to make sure as many parts of the country can get involved in this incredible event as possible,” he said.
“Being in iconic New Zealand venues and seeing international rugby of this calibre is going to make this an unmissable experience, and I’d encourage fans to start making plans to be part of this inaugural tour.”
British & Irish Lions tour fixtures
September 4: British & Irish Lions v Black Ferns XV – Whangarei
September 11: British & Irish Lions v Black Ferns – Auckland
September 14: British & Irish Lions v Invitational XV – Hamilton
September 18: British & Irish Lions v Black Ferns – Wellington
September 25: British & Irish Lions v Black Ferns – Christchurch
Rugby’s best of the best, ranked by experts. Check out our list of the Top 100 Men's Rugby Players 2025 and let us know what you think!
