British & Irish Lions

The British and Irish Lions are the pride of the Home Nations (England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland). Every four years, a team selected from players eligible to represent these national sides tours Australia, New Zealand or South Africa. In 2021, the Lions are heading on tour to face South Africa, the current world champions.

Read on to discover even more about the British and Irish Lions. On this page, you can learn more about the history of the side. You can also see the squad for the 2021 tour of South Africa and find all the latest fixtures and results

The British and Irish Lions were first formed in 1888, when they played as the Shaw and Shrewsbury team. It wasn't until 1950 when the team officially became known as the Lions, which was a nickname first given to the side by journalists on the 1924 tour of South Africa.

Throughout their history, the British and Irish Lions have faced several sides, such as Argentina, Canada, Fiji and France. However, in the modern era, the Lions only embark on tours of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Tours are scheduled every four years on a rotational basis, meaning the Lions face each of these sides in a test series once every 12 years.

Across the history of the British and Irish Lions, the team have a 78% winning percentage against Australia, a 31% winning percentage against South Africa and a winning percentage of only 8% against New Zealand. That said, the Lions gained an historic draw against the All Blacks during their last encounter in 2017.

The British and Irish Lions recently announced their squad for the 2021 tour of South Africa. Coached by Warren Gatland, the squad of 37 contains 11 players from England, 10 from Wales, 8 from Ireland and 8 from Scotland. Notable players include Owen Farrell, Justin Tipuric, Conor Murray and Finn Russell.